Harry Slays Voldemort
by StevenTLawson
Summary: Voldemort took a chance to kill Harry Potter before his fifth year to prevent anyone from knowing of his return, things got complicated. Now Harry is alive and has to deal with the coming fallout.
1. Chapter 1

They called him a liar, a lunatic, a murderer. Harry tossed and turned in his bed as he recalled his confrontation with Voldemort that ended with a dead friend and a destroyed reputation. He had been whisked back to the Dursley's in record time and told in no uncertain terms to not leave Little Whinging. Which was easier said than done, which considering his friends stopped sending him letters or even responded to the ones he set. He was feeling more isolated than before.

In Malfoy Manor, Voldemort was reading the latest headlines of the Daily Prophet with glee. He knew that the articles were dragon dung, but that is what he had his Death Eaters for, he would read out a headline and someone would tell him the real story.

"Harry Potter, dangerous, deranged, disappeared?"

Lucius Malfoy raised his hand. "My lord, that is misleading, the boy has not been interviewed once since your resurrection, however he has not disappeared."

Voldemort lowered the paper from his face. "Explain," he commanded.

"Well, it isn't a secret that Harry Potter lives with his muggle relatives, the filth that was the Mudblood Potter's family," Lucius expounded.

"Hmmm, and why pray tell," Voldemort growled. "If you are aware of where he has been staying, then _why_," he shouted as he drew his wand. "Did not one of you kill him in the time between my resurrection."

"My lord," Lucius cringed in fear. "I, we, could not. No one could."

"Crucio," Voldemort shouted. "We are Death Eaters; we have no limits."

"My Lord," Wormtail sniffed. "Dumbledore placed blood wards around the home."

"And how, Wormtail did you hear of this," Voldemort said tapping the tip of his finger on his wand menacingly.

"When I was gathering information over the years, Dumbledore let slip a few details here and there, only those with blood relation to Lily Potter would have been able to breach the wards if they had any intent to harm the boy."

"Hmmm," Voldemort spun around, contemplating. "Blood magic, true that is not simple magics, I am astounded the old fool would consider their use let alone actually using them. He must have been desperate."

"Yes my lord, he was never as great as your magnificence," Wormtail brownnosed.

"Enough groveling, I believe I have found a way around his blood magic," Voldemort cackled. "Come, we attack Potter now, before anyone begins to believe him," he ordered as he strode out the room.

Snape sat rigid in his chair, knowing he had to report to the Order that not only Voldemort was planning an attack, that it was against Potter himself and it was happening right now, but there was no way for him to get away. So he grudgingly rose and followed the other Death Eaters out the door, disapparating away, off to Number 4 Privet Drive.

* * *

Nymphadora Tonks had the most boring job in the world, stand outside in a muggle neighborhood under an invisibility cloak. The most excitement she got was when Harry was finishing up yard work and stripped his shirt off to rinse the buildup of sweat from his body. She watched her target move through the house cleaning it while the disgusting muggles he was forced to live with made bigger messes, on purpose, for him to clean up. _"Why are we letting him stay there, why is he sent back to these abusive fucks."_

"Alright boy, we're going into town to buy Dudders some new trainers and to see that new Batman movie, then we'll be getting dinner, so that's plenty of time to get this house clean," Vernon shouted as the Dursley's left their home and got in their car.

"_Finally they leave, now if I can just get into the house, maybe I can offer Harry some stress relief, Merlin knows he needs some," _Tonks thought as she prepared to remove her invisibility cloak when she heard pops behind her. _"Bugger is it that time already, I should have had another couple of hours at least, plenty to wear out a teenage boy,"_ Tonks swore to herself when she froze as she heard multiple voices.

"My lord, attacking Potter, in broad daylight," Severus asked. "Not to question you, but why not under the cover of darkness, what of our _orders_," he hissed the last part in the direction he had hoped Tonks would be standing so she could hear him. Voldemort stopped under the shade of a tree across the road from Number 4 Privet Drive.

Tonks was shaking in fright, not only were Death Eaters making a play on Potter, but there was Sir Snakeface himself, and he was terrifying, made worse as he was standing only a foot away from her. _"Oh Merlin, this is how I die, maybe, if I'm lucky, he'll make it quick, instead of letting his followers play with me first," _Tonks thought as tears rolled down her cheeks fearing her impending doom.

Voldemort sniffed the air for a moment, the slits in his face where his nose should be expanding. "Mmm, filth, muggle filth, smells so much like a mudblood. I would swear there was one standing right next to me."

Tonks prayed to whatever gods, goddesses, demons, devils and famous celebrities who were listening, that he wouldn't reach out and touch her. Voldemort seemed to stare into her eyes as he slowly raised his hand, when he paused as he heard a voice call out to him.

"TOOOOOOOOMMMM," Harry roared as he stormed out of the Dursley home. Voldemort pulled back from Tonks location and faced his target.

"_Oh sweet Morgana that dumb heroic boy, I swear to whatever being that made Harry look out the window, I will drain him dry if we somehow survive this," _Tonks vowed as Harry stormed across the carefully manicured lawn. She used this distraction as all the Death Eaters turned towards Harry to put some distance between the Dark Lord and herself.

Voldemort smiled a devilish grin, exposing his gnarled and sharp teeth. "Harry Potter," he shouted, his voice seemingly everywhere. "Come to die," he greeted.

"The only thing I'm coming to do is put my foot up your arse," Harry snarled as he drew his wand.

"Oh, ready to duel again, no distraction this time, no souls of your dead parents to save you again," Voldemort promised.

"I don't need them, I'll put you down right here, right now."

"Well, I am a busy man, so let's get on with it," Voldemort smirked. "I'm sure you remember my last lesson, first we bow."

"Serpentsortia," Harry shouted as he fired a venomous snake at Tom Riddle.

For a moment Voldemort paused as the snake hissed at him threateningly, before he ordered the snake away. He was confused for a moment when he saw the red orb of a stunner flying at him. He barely had enough time to deflect it, as such it struck the death eater to his right, dropping Lucius down onto the asphalt in a heap.

Harry huffed in anger as Voldemort stared at him wide-eyed, before laughing maniacally. "Oh Harry, had this been a duel, you might have just won right there, outstanding, confusing me with a snake, something you know very well I have control of, to slip in a stunning spell," Voldemort made an overexaggerated clap. "I would tip my hat at the cunning required to come up with a plan such as that, but only a true Gryffindor would be brave enough to try it," Voldemort sighed as he raised his wand.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw one of his Death Eaters prepare to enervate Lucius, that was stopped when Voldemort cruicio'd the person. "No, if Lucius was unable to protect himself against such a schoolyard spell, he has no business in our higher rankings, when he awakens on his own, he will suffer for his incompetence," he barked out, a clear order to his followers to leave Lucius on the ground.

Voldemort slowly turned back to face Harry. "But this is not a duel, it's not a fight, this is an extermination of a pest, that has bothered me for far too long, Confringo," Voldemort said as numerous harsh orange blasts exited his wand at a ludicrous speed, that Harry was only able to dodge because of his trained reflexes.

Tonk grit her teeth and shut her eyes as she couldn't bear to watch Harry fight for his life as the Death Eaters formed a wall keeping Harry in the Dursley yard to struggle against Voldemort, she gripped her arm tightly to steel her nerves as she apparated away from the fight.

* * *

She slammed open the door to Number 12 Grimmauld place and even with Walbura Black shrieking like a banshee, Tonks could scream louder. "HELP, oh please, anyone help, he's attacking Harry," she cried as she ran through the house tripping over everything in her path.

Sirius bounded down the stairs in a hurry, with other members of the Order coming out of various rooms. "Who, who is attacking Harry?" Sirius shouted in concern.

"You know who, I mean, yes, You-Know-Who, he just showed up," Tonks answered, tears streaming down her cheeks. "There are Death Eaters everywhere, I, I was scared. I didn't know what to do, I just left, oh god, I left him there with them." She gasped in terror. "Oh please, I didn't, I couldn't, I'm sorry," she pleaded for forgiveness as she tightly gripped Sirius' sleeve.

Sirius shoved Tonks out of the way, pushing passed anyone who was standing in his path out the door. "We have to go now," Sirius shouted at everyone who was just standing there. "Why aren't you coming."

"We need Dumbledore, he's the only who can drive him off, we'd be slaughtered even if we could defeat most of his followers," Molly replied.

"But Harry," Sirius retorted. "He's, he could be."

"Maybe, or Voldemort's playing with his food," Moody proposed an alternative.

Sirius drew his wand and aimed it at Alastor, "Don't you say that, he's fine. He's resourceful and thinks on his feet. He'll be okay," worry etched on his face even as he tried to stay positive.

"Where is Dumbledore?" Hestia Jones asked.

In the Ministry of Magic at that moment, Dumbledore was struggling to get the Wizengamot to listen to him, he was having no luck as Fudge had convinced too many people that Dumbledore had finally lost it. Meanwhile in the office for underage magic, a needle was flickering wildly, indicating that some child was using a lot of spells.

* * *

Back on Privet Drive, Voldemort was indeed playing with Harry, he's cast a spell and then see how long it took for Harry to add it to his repertoire and use it against him. If he wasn't so dead set on killing Harry, the boy would have made a fantastic apprentice, as Tom had already given him every spell he had learned up to his seventh year. "My my Harry, you are putting up quite a fight, more than your parents ever gave me."

Harry glared before shouting back a dozen spells in half as many seconds, for a moment Voldemort had to go on the defensive as he could not deflect them all. "Why don't you shut up and die again."

"I am beyond death Harry," Voldemort tisked his opponent. "I have become something greater than the average wizard." Voldemort began using darker and darker curses, spells not taught at Hogwarts, spells even Durmstrang would never teach. The kind that one only learns from the darkest tomes in the most secret of places.

Struggling to keep up, blocking, dodging and deflecting spells, a talent Harry was slowly learning having seen Voldemort do it over a dozen times in their fight. He had finally been backed against the wall of the house, next to the rose bushes that he was always forced to put too much time into.

"And just like that, I have cornered you Harry," Voldemort said as he approached his movement like a rolling fog over the grass. "Any final insults, you goodie goodies do love those, maybe a baby you would like to throw yourself in front of, I'm sure one of my Death Eaters wouldn't mind ripping one out of a pregnant woman for you."

Harry squinted his eyes as he tried to ignore the taunting he was being subjected to in the face of defeat. He had been outclassed in terms of spellwork, Voldemort simply had decades of experience than he didn't. More than half the spells he knew now were because he learned them from Voldemort. He didn't see a way to beat him with magic, however out of the corner of his eye he saw the well-used pair of gardening shears that he trimmed the roses with. The shiny steel nine-inch blades reflecting light on him. But he knew it was false hope, at this close of a distance, he'd barely move before Voldemort would stop him and it would all be over.

He prepared to make a dive, so at least he would go out without having given up, when he heard screaming, very familiar screaming, his mothers. Suddenly the air got very cold around him as two dementors flew down from the clouds. Momentarily distracted by their sudden appearance, Voldemort turned to look at the soul sucking monsters, when Harry made his move.

Harry rolled and picked up the shears and sprung off the ground, shoving them in Tom's neck, black ichor gushing out of the wound. Voldemort froze as he felt the huge metal blades inserted into his flesh. Choking on his own fluids he stumbled back, dropping his wand. With trained reflexes Harry caught the wood and felt a strange yet familiar surge, it felt like his wand.

Part of the reason no one ever tries to cast with two wands, isn't because it's hard, all one has to do is learn some wordless magic, and then just trace the motions with both wands and one could even say the other spell they are casting. It's because both wands must be in sync with each other and the caster, there are rarely wands that synchronize with each other, except for incredibly rare brother wands.

The Death Eaters paused as they saw their master fall to the ground gurgling, clutching at his neck, then they started screaming and shouting at Harry before unleashing a barrage of spells at him. Which would overwhelm any single witch or wizard.

But Potter's have the strangest luck in the world, the dementors, surrounded by magic and with orders to suck out the soul of Harry Potter, simply couldn't let their meal die by these other wand users so they turned and started attacking the Death Eaters as well.

What would have been a very one-sided battle between Harry and a dozen or so Death Eaters, quickly became a free for all as many of the Death Eaters started trying to fend off the Dementors struck their allies in the crossfire.

Harry put all his skills as a seeker to the test as he ducked and dove over spells and explosions firing off his own barrage of magic into the fray, not caring who or what it hit as no one here he would call his friend. The battle raged for a full minute before the sounds died down.

Harry sat against the front door a few feet away from Voldemort's wheezing body. "Harry, this victory, means, nothing" Tom Riddle gasped out as his body fought to draw breath. "I will rise once again, as I, said, I, am, immortal," he said as his body shuddered.

The chill Harry felt began to intensify as he propped himself up against the door, he struggled to raise his wand up as he felt his energy draining. The two dementors floated closer and closer. _"Of course none of the Death Eaters can conjure a patronus," _Harry chuckled as he watched the spectral demons draw in towards him.

To the outside perspective the dementors hung in the air, seemingly waiting for something to happen. For them they were sharing a strange communication. "C̣̲̙͑͊o̙̭̳͙͎͍͗ͨ̾̎̌ṋ͕̔̒̾̓s͕̞͕͗̆ͭ͐̏̆̄um̮̻̞̳̲̺ͫe̹̠̝̖̭̜̼ͨ̃ ͙̘͙͕ͨͬͩͬH̗̾̐̾a̳̪̟̖͓͇̳ͥ̆r͆ͣ͒͂r̻͇̩̭̖̫͗͌ŷ̗̬̼̙̉͊͑̊ͨ͒ ̦͎̰̰̬͈P͆̓̈ͨ̂ͭo̞ͩͥ̓͐̀ͨtt̅͐͊̌̌e͚̦̻͙̯̊̐͒̋͗ͅr̖ͤ̊̓ͧŝ̫͉͊ ͚̼̿͊̏̅s͗̀̌̉o̜͓̻̹͔͉u͍̹͆̉̏l?̫̼͙͔̗̼̟̚"̱̭͖ͧ̏

"W͇̯̠̪̞̹͉̔ͧ̇̚h͕̯̳̥̾̽i͇͕͇̙̙͋͋̊̔͆͐c͇̓͊̌h̪͉͖͔̹̰͋ͥͧ̃ͩ̚ ̭̜̣̗̌ò̺̲̔n͉̬̭̪̟̞̊͑̃̿͗ͤe͈̥͊?" the other dementor asked. It pointed it's withered finger at Tom Riddle. "B͔̫̒ͩ̚ỏ̗͚̙̘̼ͫͅt̫̂ͮ́̿̐̌ͯh̬͉̩̬̗͍ͤ ̫̭͇͙̮̑̽ͭ͗a͔̘͓͇͗͋̅̌̈́̐r̦̜ẻ̜̲̘̬̹̳ͧ̑ͬ̽̆ ̯͓ͤ͒̍ͦ̇̐w͚͖͇͋e̤͉͎̩̩̿ͨͥͯ͆a̘̗̠̩͕̯̍͊̓̈k͎͕̮̜ͫ̾ͥ̿̌̅ ̝̭ͣ̾̃ā͍͖̔͌̄̉ͅn̙̯͖͌̓ḍ̬͖̍ ̺̫̙͍̉̋́s̲͍͌̋̏̍͌͛ͅm̎ḛ̰̭̩͍̎̾̍͑l͚̟̆͒̾̌ͫl̦̼ͭ͋͛͌̊ ̳̏̒̓t͐̑ĥ̯͔̙̗ͫe̗̲̎̿ͮ ͩs̙̉a̙̩͋͛͑͊ͧͦͮm̦̖̟ͥê͇̗͕͗ͨ̚"

"It̬͇̱̓ͯ̐ ̳̰̰͖̬͍̹d͋̒ͩo̫͖̭̞̐͑̆̾́ͅe̥̹̱̥̱ͮͨs͖͔͑̈́ͅ ̘̺̱̆ͅn̒̏͛̌o̬̞̳̘̍̏̀̈ͥ͗t̟̤̙̗ͤͥ̏̉ͅ ̲̺̯͙͎ͫͯ̿ͬ̉m͕̖̝͖̻̎̔̑ͦȧ̩̙̈̒̀t̑̉̊̿̔̌̈́t̬͔e̎͂͆̚r̮̮̻̐͌͗̍ͭͥ,̮̼̗͎̫̙̜̑͑͗̈́̈́͂̂ ͛̿͗̀͐c̭̭̹̩͔̎o̩ñ̜͇̳ͮ̔͊ͪͬ̂s̩̞̪͚͐̍u̹͇̦͓m̰̳̓ͤ͂̌ͨë̫̫̳ͫ̚ ͖̻ͭt̪̺͙̪͗̊h̳̑ͮeͮ͂͋ͭ̒̔m̮̦͙͚̓͗ͮ̓̇̔ ̺ͪ̑̌ͨ̓b͙̭̠͔̄ͤ̂̅̈́o̻̪̐t̤̟̯͎͌̂̑̇̍̚ĥ̠̭̻͚̘̠̊͛ͦ̽̽̒," the first said to the second as it lowered itself onto Voldemort's defenseless body.

Tom felt the touch of the dementor and panicked. "NoOoOoOo," Voldemort wailed as he struggled to get away from the being. His body had yet to die, so he couldn't flee as a shade yet, he still had a few more moments left of life, but it didn't matter, the dementor firmly grasped Tom Riddles head and sucked his soul out all the same, as small as it was.

Harry winced as he heard the sound of his mother screaming on loop as the second dementor floated into soul sucking range. "Expecto, expect, expecto patronum," he weakly said, a dim silvery light forming at the end of his holly wand. This nudged back the dementor who seemed incensed at a meal that put up a struggle. Harry fought against aching muscles as he raised the yew brother wand, "Expecto, Patronum," Harry shouted with feeling as both wands reacted and pushed for Prongs who barreled into the monsters and made them flee. Finally drained of energy to move, he could only stare across the carnage that happened in no more than ten minutes, over a dozen dead Death Eaters and a dead Dark Lord lay in the street and on the Dursley's lawn.

More sounds of pops irritated his ears and alerted him to more presences. "Who's there, if it's more of Tom's Death Eaters, bring it on, I can't even move, but I'll bite your bloody ankles off," Harry weakly threatened.

"Merlin's balls," Sirius gaped as he stared over the battlefield. As the members of the Order began combing the battleground. Tonks shoved passed her cousin and began shouting.

"Harry, Harry," her voice filled with distress. "Please, Harry answer me, oh Merlin, I'm sorry please be alive," she called out.

"I'm over, here," Harry said from his spot by the door.

Tonks rushed around the corner from the garage and found him slumped against the house. "I found him, he's alive, oh thank whoever, but he's alive," she cried out, alerting everyone else. The sounds of rapid footsteps came rushing towards him.

"I, my word, Harry is that," Minerva asked as she jumped back once he looked at the body closest to Harry.

"Yeah, showed him," Harry laughed as he stared at Riddle's corpse. He felt his weight shift as he was lifted up. "Oop," he let out a completely manly grunt of pain.

"Oh bollocks Harry I'm so sorry, are you okay," Tonks replied.

Harry stared at Tonks through blurry eyes. "Yeah, now that I got a pretty bird on my arm. Hehe, please don't hit me, I got that one from Sirius," Harry pleased.

Sirius balked. "Not bad Godson, but you'll need to try a bit harder if you want to get Nymphadora's attention," Sirius joked.

"Watch it, today was stressful, don't use my name," Tonks threatened.

"Aww, but it's so pretty, like you," Harry said as he felt his mental faculties declining. "God, you are pretty th0ugh, who are you, I'm Harry, do you want to," he started to say before he slumped into her fast asleep.

"Dammit, Shack, can you help, he weighs more than he looks," Tonks grunted. The sound of even more pops as seemingly the entire Auror corps landed in Privet Drive. With Amelia Bones and Dumbledore leading the assault.

"A bit late don't you think," Alastor scoffed, before Remus nudged him hard.

"We got here late too remember," the werewolf chastised the retired veteran.

"And what are we late too, if I might ask," Amelia said with her eyebrow raised at her former employee. Even if he had been one of her favorites, she still needed a report.

"The Potter boy, got attacked by Lord Dead as a Doornail over there and what looks like two dozen of his "finest" Death Eaters and won," Moody reported.

Albus turned to survey the area. "Oh my, Harry, is he okay," Albus asked.

"Well he's in the arms of my favorite cousin right now, so he'll wake up just fine," Sirius joked.

"Sirius Black," Amelia exclaimed causing most of her aurors to train their wands on him.

"Hang on, hang on, I'm innocent," Sirius said dropping his wand. "Check that fat Death Eater over there," he pointed to a large body.

"Peter, Pettigrew?" Rufus Scrimgeour said in confusion as he stared at the body of a supposed dead man.

"Can I get that trial now 'Melia, pretty please," Sirius begged.

Amelia groaned and ordered her aurors to start identifying bodies and begin obliviating the muggles. When the sound of tires screeching drew everyone's attention.

"What are you freaks doing on my property," Vernon bellowed.

"Ma'am," a rookie auror asked as he raised his wand.

"Vernon," Albus said placatingly as he approached. "Now there is a perfectly reasonable explanation for everything that happened, which I will happily tell you after I find out what it is."

Remus leaned over, "Harry's relatives, they're in the know," he whispered and crooked his fingers.

As Albus and the Durlsey's argued Arabella Figg approached Madame Bones. "I seen it, I done seen it all Madame," her sudden appearance in a tense situation already putting the on edge aurors close to a boiling point.

"And you are?" Amelia responded as she fixed her monocle.

"I'm Arabella Figg, I live in the neighborhood, but I done seen that Harry Potter defeat the Dark Lord and all his Death Eaters, I did, I'll even submit a memory, which I can't have tampered with since I'm a squib."

Amelia sighed and ordered a memory of the fight be taken from Ms. Figg who didn't protest in the slightest. She took the memory and grabbed Dumbledore. "Your office, now," she ordered knowing that it could take weeks for the paperwork to clear to get a ministry pensive up from the Department of Mysteries, but the one at Hogwarts was available for use by the Headmaster at any time.

* * *

Amelia and Albus pulled themselves out of the memory and stumbled to chairs in Dumbledore's office. "I want to make a new award, higher than the Order of Merlin, then give it to that boy," Amelia stated.

"Yes, that was most certainly hair raising," Albus replied as he shook the adrenaline out of his body. Ms. Figg had certainly gotten into a good spot, enough that she could even hear most of the conversation before everything went crazy.

"He really did do it, stopped Voldemort, I mean," Amelia asked.

Dumbledore numbly nodded in agreement. "It would seem that way."

Before Amelia could ask any further questions the floo to his office flared up, and Shacklebolt stuck his head in. "Sir, Ma'am, we got a survivor, you're going to want to see this."

* * *

Harry awoke in a strange bed, his head pounding in agony. "Oh why is the room spinning?" he complained.

Tonks sprang up from her spot, "Quick, read this," she said as she shoved a piece of paper into his hands.

"The headquarters of the order of the phoenix is located at number twelve grimmauld place?" Harry read aloud. "What does that even mean, oh wow, the room stopped spinning."

"Sorry about that, the place in under a fidelius and you were asleep for the last few hours so we couldn't tell you the secret," Tonks waved him off. "So uh, what do you remember."

Harry sat up and let the sheets fall off his chest revealing his scars old and new. "I was doing chores, then Voldemort showed up, we fought, it got crazy, I stabbed him, he died, and then a beautiful woman," Harry answered.

Tonks blushed her hair changing colors in response, "So all of it then?"

"Yeah, there about," Harry replied as he stared at Tonks. "Hey, how are you doing that?"

"Oh this," Tonks mused as she lengthened her hair to grab it easily. "I'm a metamorphmagus, I can change how I look whenever I want."

Harry smirked, "Wicked. Bet that's loads of fun."

"Yeah, kind of. So uh, your friends are here," Tonks said changing the topic away from her.

"Friends?" Harry questioned when the door slammed open and Hermione rushed across the room and jumped on him, sobbing into his chest.

Ron followed in behind her while many of the other Weasley clan stared from the doorway. "Mate, is it true, it's over, for real this time, you, you know, hrrrk," he said as he drew his finger across his throat.

Harry shook his head. "I don't know, I just killed him, it didn't stick the last few times and I haven't seen his body yet, so," he shrugged at the question.

"Oh it must have been horrible, you must have been so scared," Hermione cried.

Harry struggled to pull Hermione off him. "Not really, I didn't have time to be scared, I was too busy fighting for my life."

"But still," Hermione insisted.

"Hey, why don't you all go downstairs and let them all know I'm fine, and me and this lovely young lady can continue our earlier conversation," Harry suggested.

Before Hermione or Ron could protest, the twins grabbed them and apparated away. "Huh," Harry quirked his eyebrow, "That's neat."

"Oh that, it's called apparation, sort of like the muggle idea of teleporting," Tonks explained.

"Reckon that's dead useful," Harry chuckled.

"Yeah, real nice if you want to travel," Tonks agreed.

"So uh, who exactly are you, and where are we?"

"Right so, I'm Nymphadora Tonks, I'm Sirius's cousin, but don't call me Nymphadora."

"But it's a really pretty name."

"Don't tease me like that, you may have beat You-Know-Who but I'll."

"Woah, woah, I'm not teasing, I really like it, it's magical, unique and sounds pleasant."

"Really?"

"Swear on my magic," Harry joked.

"Don't do that, what if you actually made an oath," Tonks hissed. "You're lucky you don't have your wand on you. By the way you had two on you and I didn't know which was yours, so I took them both."

"Well the holly wand is mine, the other one is Voldemort's," Harry explained as he swung his legs over the side of the bed. "So what happened after I passed out, Nymphadora," Harry said as he searched around for his clothes as he was currently only wearing a pair of boxers.

Tonks blushed as she averted her gaze. "Aren't you a little embarrassed about standing in front of me wearing only your um" she coughed drawing his attention.

"I think normally I would, but I am still dead tired and really hungry, so I just want to go eat and sleep," Harry shrugged.

Tonks shook her head. "Well, after you fell asleep on me, the uh, proverbial shit hit the fan."

* * *

"Is that Lucius Malfoy," Amelia asked as she stared at the still breathing Death Eater, the only still breathing Death Eater.

"It would seem so," Shacklebolt answered. "The list of Death Eaters is impressive for Potter to have fought them all off. The Carrow siblings were notoriously sick and twisted. Nott, Crabbe, Goyle, is that, oh bollock me right in my, Augustus Rookwood."

"Shit, an Unspeakable," Amelia swore as she drew her wand. "Any other ministry employees?" she asked as she contacted Saul Croaker.

"Macnair and Yaxley, but I don't think too many people would be surprised about that, they were both bastards," Scrimgeour replied. "I see a couple of faces I've seen around but none by name."

Tonks started providing names of the people that were being unmasked, "And then it got weird."

"Severus Snape," a young auror shouted. "Always hated the bastard."

"Wait, Snape was a Death Eater?" Harry cried out as he struggled to get his shirt on.

"Yes, no," Tonks quickly responded. "It's complicated. He really was on our side, he was spying. I was just about to take off my invisibility cloak, and maybe come bugger you while you were alone," Tonks confessed quietly.

"What was that," Harry stumbled as he barely heard that last comment.

Tonk crossed her legs. "I kind of figured with how much the Dursley's were riding you with all those chores and stuff, that maybe I could ride you and help relieve some stress," she laughed softly as she became nervous about his reaction.

"Damn, could have, fucking Tom," Harry grumbled as he kicked the bed frame in frustration. "So what else happened."

"Well after they lined up the bodies, well uh, the only surviving Death Eater was Lucius Malfoy, he probably only survived because you hit him with a stunner before everything went tits up," Tonks continued as she and Harry stepped out into the hall.

Ginny squeaked and shut herself in the room she was staying in when the pair started down the stairs. Harry rolled her eyes at the behavior. _"I like her all the same but I've barely had a half a dozen conversations with her over the last three years and she still can't see me as anyone else than the boy-who-lived," _Harry sighed as he made it to the bottom landing.

"This way hero," Tonks said as she pointed him to a door. "The kitchen is over here."

Harry smiled and pushed open the door, seeing a chaotic mess in the kitchen as every adult was shouting at each other. "Thanks Nymphadora, you're the best," Harry said back to her as he stepped into the room.

Everyone ceased their bickering once they noticed Harry. Pausing Harry looked around the room. "Don't stop on my account, I'm just here for some food and then going to go back to sleep."

"BOY," Vernon shouted from the corner having been brought to Grimmauld Place to ensure the families safety while everyone tried to piece together where they all stood.

"Oh hey Uncle Vernon," Harry calmly said as he started looking through cabinets. "I thought you'd be in London."

"I forgot my wallet boy, so I turned the car around and I come back to find out dead freaks all over my yard," Vernon seethed. None of those assembled could dispute that the Death Eaters Harry had killed were abhorrent in their beliefs and actions but they could tell that the Durlsey's relationship with Harry was very tense. "Of course I couldn't be lucky and have you be one of them," he grumbled.

Sirius quickly stood up out of his chair before Shacklebolt shoved him back down. "Come on, let me at him," Sirius snarled.

Kingsley spoke calmly but with authority. "No I will not, Sirius. Amelia is being damn generous right now letting you return home instead of locking you in a cell at the Ministry."

"Wait why?" Harry looked over his shoulder.

Sirius smiled brightly at his godson. "Well, apparently with Peter's corpse turned up, she's reviewing the details of my "trial", the one I didn't have. But forget all that, Merlin Harry, I'm so happy your safe son," Sirius gently stood up and walked around the table. To pull Harry into a hug.

"Yeah, wasn't really sure how I was going to get out of that one," Harry chuckled. "Guess I lucked out with those dementors showing up. Who sent those by the way," Harry asked the room.

Shacklebolt coughed, drawing Harry's attention. "If you'd like, we can go over some more details of what's going to happen now that You-Know-Who is dead."

Harry shrugged and took an open seat, before looking at who was seated next to him, "Hello Aunt Petunia," Harry blinked at the nervous woman, who was struggling to hold a teacup without spill a drop. "Hmm, if you both are here, where's Dudders."

Petunia squeaked as she nearly dropped the cup. "The children, are playing," she quietly said as her teeth chattered in fear.

Harry looked at the assembled room, "Jeez, what did you guys do to them," he asked.

"Just gave an object lesson in respect," Minerva smirked as she sipped her tea.

Blinking for a moment, Harry then gasped. "Professor, you said we never use transfiguration as a punishment," he was aghast at the older witch for using magic on his muggle relatives.

"I said we never did it on students," Minerva corrected.

Harry quickly stood up and took his aunt's hand and started to lead her out of the room. "What's wrong with you," he shouted. "You all know my relatives hate magic, so _why, _would you think it a good idea to torture them with it."

"Torture," Alastor scoffed. "Turning them in pin cushions and school yard jinxes aren't torture boy."

"On muggles who are terrified of magic, using any on them might as well be torture," Harry spat back. "God no wonder no one noticed you'd been replaced by a Death Eater," he hissed as he stormed out of the room tugging his aunt along behind him, his uncle had shoved passed everyone else and followed.

Alastor reeled back as if he had been slapped, then growled. "Don't," Tonks shouted at Moody. "Seriously he just got done with dismantling You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters and you want to do what?"

Alastor stumbled. "I," he paused. "I don't know, but I'm nothing like them."

"Maybe before you run off and either start a fight, which you _might_ be able to win, undoubtably pissing him off, which will piss off most everyone here," Tonks glared at her former instructor. "Try to think about it from his perspective, at the very least those muggles are still his family, so he might have taken offense to people doing things to them," she tossed her hands in the air. "Now I need to go find Harry and make sure he doesn't go do something reckless.

Harry had led Petunia into a sitting room, "Aunt Petunia when you said Dudley was taken to play with the children, what did you mean?"

"The redheaded twins they grabbed Dudley, they said they wanted to test some products on him, then just disappeared," Petunia shook.

Harry grunted in frustration, before looking at the ceiling. "Fred, George," Harry shouted. "Get down here," he demanded.

With twin pops the redhead menaces appeared behind them. "Oh great slayer of Dark Lords," Fred bowed.

"Sayer of Tonks' first name," George chuckled with a curtsey.

"What can we"

"Humble pranksters"

"do for you"

"Where's my cousin," Harry rolled his eyes.

"Why Harry, do you care about that miniature hippo," George teased.

"Fred, George, I'm going to say this once, I am hungry as hell, have never felt so tired before and am starting to get very annoyed, so bring my cousin down here, free of any side effects from your pranks," he ordered.

Fred and George shared a look, before nodding. "Right away," they apparated away before returning with a distressed Dudley. "And we didn't mean anything by it Harry, for truth."

Harry ran a hand through his hair, "I am having a crazy day guys, I'm just trying to get through it before it all settles in and I put my wand in my mouth," he sighed.

Fred and George quickly nodded before rushing past Tonks and into the kitchen where they would inform the adults about Harry's last comment.

Turning to the Dursley's, Harry waved them along. "Come on, we're getting out of here for a bit, I can tell being in a place like this is hell for you," Harry said as he headed towards the front door.

"And where do you think you are going Harry," Tonks asked.

"Out, my relatives are likely to have a heart attack if they stay here much long and I'm not ready to be stared at like an exhibit again, not after the day I had, so I don't know, maybe find a place to get food," Harry shrugged.

Tonk rolled her eyes. "You can't go out on your own, who knows how crazy the world is going right now, so I'll come with in case you need someone to protect you," she said as she looped her arm through his. "Plus you don't know the area."

Harry blinked. "Nymphadora, I don't care if you wanted to come along just to suck me under the table, let's just get out of here before someone tries to stop us," Harry said quickly as he put an arm around Tonks' waist.

"I mean, if you want, I don't think I'd mind," Tonks confessed as she blushed.

"Now who's teasing," Harry laughed as the five walked down the sidewalk, the Dursley's already looking less stressed at being out of the magical house. "Not nice to get a young man's hopes up that he'd have a chance with a woman like you."

Tonks looked down at Harry. "I'm not teasing, Harry, I'm alive because of you, if you didn't get V-Voldemort's attention he would have found me. So I may have vowed to, do things with you to repay that debt."

Harry looked at Tonks before he simply slumped into her. "Yup, that did it, that's my limit."

"What do you mean Harry," Tonks asked.

"A beautiful woman saying she vowed to sleep with me," Harry scoffed. "I either died or old Snakeface is holding me under his crucio and my mind finally snapped."

"Hey," Tonks shouted feeling offended. "I'm serious, I owe you a debt now, so I'd prefer to repay that instead of having it hang over my head and if I can do that by giving you a romp in the sheets, then at least we'll both enjoy the activity."

"Wait, wait wait," Harry said as the group finally entered a business district. "Debts are a thing? It's not just a personal feeling like you owe someone?"

"Oh Merlin no, life debts are real, they're the oldest form of magical contract," Tonks said as she shoved Harry into a pizzeria. "If you save someone's life, like they were mere moments from death, then well, it's a bit complicated but you could essentially order them to serve you to repay it."

"Huh," Harry muttered. "Well that's neat I guess."

"So I figured you'd like to have me and we'd be square," Tonks shrugged.

Harry began blushing as reality slowly set in. "Well, I'd be a loony if I said I didn't want to do that, but," Harry postulated as he slumped back in a booth, the Dursley's choosing to sit in a separate booth from the witch and wizard.

"But what," Tonks bristled. "Am I not good enough," she said fury edging into her tone.

"No, Merlin no, jeez, never. I've only seen a handful of girls that can even hold a candle to you," Harry quickly answered. "I just well, sure I'm a virgin, but I've never had a date before, this is the closest I've gotten."

"So what, you want a girlfriend," Tonks guessed.

Harry smiled and gazed into the distance. "Yeah, I've seen pictures of my parents when they got together and I've never seen happier people and I think I want that, someone that can make me happy."

"Well, it might be a little strange, but I think I can try with you for a bit until you find that special someone."

"So does that mean this," Harry pointed to the building. "Is our first date."

"You're cute you know that," Nymphadora giggled.

After the pizzas arrived at the tables Nymphadora and Harry were exchanging stories. "So there I was wearing McGonagall's face scolding a fifth year who was spreading rumors about me, when the real McGonagall came up behind me." Harry snickered as he imagined the scene. "So I ended up with a detention for a whole week for impersonating a teacher, but she did give me some more instruction during that time, felt I was wasting my talents with school yard stuff."

"Wow, Hogwarts sounds so different than when I was going there," Harry smirked as he took a sip from his drink.

"Tell me about it, it seemed like once you started your first year, everything changed," Tonks agreed. "I was a seventh year when you were an ickle firstie Hare-bear," she teased as she leaned into him. "Tell me, what was that all about at the end of the year," Tonks asked. "No one really knows what happened."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at his new girlfriend. "Okay, so I guess I'll have to go all the way back when I met Hagrid," Harry started explaining after a few minutes, he started to wrap up his first year. "And he was riding the back of Quirrel's skull like a parasite."

"Oh man, I'm gonna be sick," Tonks heaved as she tried to imagine having Voldemort sticking out of the back of your head. "That's insane, how did you get out of there," Tonks begged for more information.

"Well, I sort of, killed Quirrel," Harry confessed. "I just grabbed his face when he tried to choke me to death and he just started to turn to dust," he set his drink down and closed his eyes. "Sometimes I can still hear his screams as he died."

"Oh Harry," Tonks cooed as she pulled the man into her arms. "That's horrible, I struggled through my auror training on curses and using them and I've never even killed anyone, and here you are at eleven with so much put on your shoulders."

The bell above the door tingled as it opened. "Ahh young Harry, there you are," Albus said as he walked into the parlor. "I've come to bring you and yours back to Grimmauld Place," he informed as he approached the table.

"Are you nuts, why do the Dursley's have to come back, it's me anyone would be after," Harry shot out of his seat.

"Harry, Petunia or Dudley's blood could be used to track you, even through a fidelius," Albus explained. "And I don't think I would have to do much to convince you that anyone who would be using their blood will likely not have acquired it through peaceful means or have good intentions," his eyes twinkling.

Harry pouted and grumbled for a moment, before he tossed up his hands. "Fine, but no more using magic on them, it's wrong," Harry said as he crossed his arms.

Dumbledore chuckled, "Yes, I believe that your comments towards Alastor have sunken in." The elderly man's eyes hardened. "But I do wish to inquire as toward what you said to the twins about putting one's wand in one's mouth," he looked down at his student.

Tonks gasped. "Harry James Potter, you better not joke about killing yourself."

Harry rolled his neck, "I was tired and getting fed up with the day. I don't have any intentions of ending my life, not after I fought so hard to stay alive a few hours ago."

Tonks hissed as she looped her arm around Harry tightly. "You better not," she said as she pressed herself against him, and to further reinforce the issue she increased her bust a few cup sizes to where they were very large, bouncy and stretching the fabric of her shirt to its limit. "I wouldn't be able to reward you for saving me if you did," she whispered into his ear. "You won't let little old me to sleep alone in a cold bed do you?"

Harry felt his blood pressure rise. "Okay, jeez you win, Merlin," Harry tugged at his collar. "Fight fair why don't you."

"Mmm, no," Tonks teased as she gave Harry a quick peck on the cheek. "Well let's go back to headquarters, Headmaster, we'll see you there," Tonks smirked as she and Harry left the building to apparated back to Grimmauld Place.

Dumbledore walked over to the booth the Dursley's were sitting in, drawing his wand to make a portkey when a waitress came over. "Um, sir, your granddaughter said you would be coming by to pay their bill," she said as she handed the check to Dumbledore. With amusement he reached into his robes and dug around for his coin purse.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry and Tonks arrived back in Grimmauld Place with a pop and due to Harry's lack of grace with magical travel and Tonks' natural imbalance, the pair fell into a heap of interlocked limbs, with Harry pinning Tonks to the floor underneath him.

"Harry, you sly dog," Sirius laughed as he and others walked into the sitting room. "If you and Tonks wanted to get frisky then you only had to ask, take the room on the third floor, second door on the left. And make sure to put up silencing wards. Or not, if you wanted everyone to know about your exploits," Sirius joked.

Harry blushed as he quickly got off the floor and pulled Tonks up. "I'm going to bed," he quickly said, heading up the stairs to the room Sirius mentioned. As the people in the room watched him ascend.

"So," Sirius rounded on his cousin. "How's he doing," he probed Tonks for her impression.

"He's stressed, like nobody's business," Tonks sighed.

"Any ideas how to help," Sirius asked seriously.

"I agreed to be his girlfriend," Tonks blushed as she admitted.

"Nym-**pha-**dora," Molly Weasley shrieked. "You are far too old for a boy like him, what are you thinking."

Tonks fluffed up at the accusation that she was irresponsible for making this decision. "Well Molly," Tonks shot back. "I'm repaying a life debt to him, You-Know-Who was seconds away from exposing me in the midst of his goons when Harry pulled them away. And I didn't ask him to be my boyfriend, he asked if I would be his girlfriend, because that courageous MAN, has only seen a happy relationship from pictures of his parents when they were dating."

"So how dare you presume to know what my or his intentions are, when all he wants is someone to make him happy," she screamed at the cowering plump redheaded woman. Growling to herself Tonks stormed up the stairs to the room Harry had closed himself into.

"Nymphadora," Harry squeaked when Tonks threw open the door and slammed it shut behind her.

"Budge over," she told him as she crossed the room, stripping down to her skivvies and climbing into the bed with him. "I get cuddly when I'm upset," she told him as she pulled Harry's body close to hers. "Better get used to it."

Harry had initially panicked at the semi-naked woman who climbed into bed with him and his aversion to touch was overpowered when he felt her very warm body press against him. His face was beet red as he felt his blood rush to his head as he confirmed that, yes, Nymphadora's large breasts were firmly planted on his back. However he could only maintain that level of worry for a moment before exhaustion overtook him and he fell into a deep slumber.

* * *

Albus returned with the Durley's to a huge argument between Sirius and Molly, as other's peppered in their thoughts and opinions. "What is going on here," he shouted above the noise.

"Albus, it's unconscionable," Molly declared. "That strumpet Nymphadora is trying to seduce Harry."

Sirius scowled at the callous insults aimed at his family. "How dare you, Nymphadora is a fine young woman and if Harry wants to begin dating her and she accepts, then don't get between them."

Albus pinched his brow. "Okay, everyone will need to be here, I feel as though today has been a long day," Dumbledore said over the noise as he drew his wand, expanding the room and its furniture to accommodate all the people. "Now, I will start by explaining the information I know of what has transpired. From there we will go around the room to fill any gaps." His gaze wandered the room looking for affirmation. "Good, so when I first got word of this," he began from his perspective.

Albus stood at a podium attempting to get the crowds of lords and ladies to listen to him. But he was a single man and Tom had ordered his Death Eaters to bribe key people who would have listened to him into thinking he was a crackpot even if they were not there themselves. As he was making another impassioned speech the door to the chamber flew open and a clerk with a long parchment, "Minister, you were right, he's doing exactly as you said."

Cornelius Fudge smiled gleefully as he took the sheet and started reading. "Ah ha, I have him now," he happily said. "Look proof of the Potter boy's wrongdoing, he has been casting spells almost nonstop for the last few minutes."

"The quill was still writing but after the dozenth spell I felt it wasn't pertinent to wait for him to finish sir," the clerk added.

Cornelius turned to face Madame Bones, "Well, I'm certain this is proof enough to have him arrested and brought in for breaking numerous laws."

Amelia sighed as she nodded, knowing that the law was the law. As she stood to gather her aurors, Dumbledore left his pedestal. "Amelia, please, would you kindly allow me to join you, I fear something is terribly amiss here." He had glimpsed the list that Cornelius had by seeing his surface thoughts as the minister read it and knew Harry did not know those spells.

"Very well Albus, but you don't interfere," Amelia ordered him.

"And that is how I came upon the scene," Albus finished explaining his day.

Molly opened her mouth, but Sirius spoke up quicker. "We were all here, going about our day when Tonks came in screaming her head off, some of us, didn't want to go until we could contact you," he hissed at the occupants who had said they would need to wait before going to help Harry. "So when we finally organized, we arrived and the fighting was already over."

"Yes," Dumbledore nodded. "I managed to see the memory of Arabella when Amelia took it from her. I have it securely in the Hogwarts' pensieve, for those that can stomach it."

"How bad is it," Minerva asked.

"Horrible," Albus admitted.

Sirius shook his head. "I want to see it," he declared. "Harry had to face that monster on his own, I want to know how bad it got."

Shacklebolt shook his head. "Can't let you leave the house, not until Amelia summons you," he reaffirmed the conditions that kept Sirius from being incarcerated in a cell at the ministry.

Growling out a swear. "Fine, Remus, go see the memory then tell me how bad it is," he said to the werewolf.

"What why me," Remus scoffed.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Because you won't bullshit me about how it really was."

"Ugh fine," Remus stood as a few other people stood.

"Oh no you boys don't," Molly scolded Fred and George who were quietly trying to sneak into the back so they could go see the fight too.

"Aww come on ma',"

"Yeah, this is the biggest battle of our generation,"

"We need to see this,"

The redheaded terrors collapsed on their knees to beg. "No, you will not see your friend fight for his life against that madman," Molly said putting her foot down. "None of the children will be."

Hermione quickly ran over to the floo. "She's not my mother," she quickly said. "And Harry's my best friend." Much to the enjoyment of the other adults who were starting to get annoyed with Molly asserting unwarranted and unneeded control over much of the house.

Alastor trudged over to the floo, "I want to see what tactics the boy used, see if my imposter was able to teach him anything useful."

Much to the surprise of everyone, Petunia walked over. "I would like to see what happened."

"Pet, why," Vernon questioned.

"I want to know why our street became a warzone," she shouted, the denial of the desire to finally see magic that close and be a part of it.

Minerva walked over. "He's one of my cubs, I should know how bad he had it."

Dumbledore nodded. "Anyone else," he asked, knowing that Shacklebolt had to stay to keep Sirius from leaving, Molly wasn't going to let any of her clan see the fight. "Very well, I will open the floo," he said as he allowed passage into his office.

* * *

About a half an hour later the occupents of the pensieve fell out, many of them shaken by what they saw. "Merlin's saggy balls," Remus huffed as he struggled to get himself under control.

"That was the monster who killed my sister," Petunia shouted. "I thought you said he was dead," she rounded on the headmaster.

"Unfortunately, he had taken precautions to prevent his passing on," Dumbledore admitted.

Hermione paused and thought on that. "Then how can we be sure that he won't come back again," she asked.

Dumbledore sighed. "That is the worse news, he may," he explained as he walked around to his desk and pulled out Tom Riddle's diary. "This is an object he had made that stored a portion of his soul, at least that is what I am led to believe. It is called a horcrux."

Alastor began swearing up a storm upon hearing the word. "Yes, I am not surprised you know what those are," Dumbledore continued. "I do not know how many of them he has made or where they all are, but what I do know from what Young Harry has told me of his time in the chamber, they require long periods of contact with a person to drain their life essence to bring them back," Albus said. "It is likely that from what Harry has said that the version is as it was when it was made, making this one the first, so any horcruxes we find should they be used to bring Tom back will be some time between when he left Hogwarts and the one we have seen Harry defeat."

Minerva nodded her head in contemplation. "So any that remain will be more experienced then he was as a student but less twisted than he was when he first died."

Albus nodded. "That would seem to be the case, as such we are in an advantageous position," Dumbledore smiled weakly.

"How is this good," Petunia raised her voice. "He can come back at any time, and I may not know magic, but what is there to stop a bunch of them coming back at once."

"Nothing, which is why their existence must be kept a secret known to as few as possible," Albus answered. "Currently the only death eaters alive are those in Azkaban, Lucius Malfoy and those who had not come to him upon his return to life. So if that number remains locked away and unaware, then there is less of a chance of someone who would seek his return from deliberately finding them."

* * *

As if the universe laughed at those who planned. Narcissa Malfoy was walking into the DMLE, her face stony as she did not want to betray how uncomfortable she was feeling. When she announced herself she was taken straight back to see Madame Amelia Bones. "Hello Madame Bones," Narcissa greeted.

"Mrs. Malfoy," Amelia smirked as she waited gleefully to drop the boot on the woman. "We got your husband in one of our cells."

Narcissa tightly gripped her dress to stop herself from shouted. "And what would be the reason for his incarceration."

"Oh you know, just trying to kill Harry Potter," Amelia leaned back and grinned. Her face failing to contain her delight at delivering this information. "Seems the Boy-Who-Lived is now the Man-Who-Conquered. It's going to be in every magical paper in the world tomorrow, special edition," she said as she passed over the next days paper, which she may have strong armed the Daily Prophet into giving her an advanced copy.

Narcissa snatched the paper and quickly scanned it, as she did so, her hands began to tremble. "No, he's, I," she stammered as her façade crumbled. "Please, there must be something I can do," Narcissa pleaded.

"Nope, I'm not making any deals," Amelia answered as she folded her arms. "He's either getting the kiss or the veil, no claim of imperius this time. Not when his dead master's on Potter's lawn and his Death Eater friends are following him on "the next great adventure"," Amelia air quoted.

"Please, my son needs his father," Narcissa begged. "There must be something you can do," she cried out.

"Not a chance that I could even if I wanted to, him and the rest of them were there to kill Harry Potter, no one can save him now. Not when everyone is going to be clamoring to be seen doing right by him after how they treated him, the fact that your husband is the only one left alive just allows them to tear strips off him to prove it," Amelia explained as she stood up and opened her door, indicating that it was time for her guest to leave.

With thick tear streaks down her face, Narcissa slowly shuffled out, ignoring the sniggers and gossip about her appearance, none of that would compare to the vile and vitriol she would face the next morning.

* * *

Harry awoke late that morning in a strange location, groaning as he tried to sit up he found himself pinned down. "Mmm, but I don't want to get up mommy, my bed's so comfy," Tonks said drowsily.

"Nymphadora," Harry questioned as his brain started to wake up and process the events of the previous day. He lay back down and stared at the ceiling. "Huh, it's over now," Harry said to no one. "I killed him and so many people yesterday," he mused. "Why don't I feel any different."

Harry felt a pair of lips on his neck. "What do you mean different?" Tonks asked as she nuzzled closer to Harry.

"All those Death Eaters died, I probably killed a few of them myself, so why don't I feel as bad as when I killed Quirrel," he asked as he recalled telling her that story yesterday.

"Well, for one you're older and better mentally equipped to handle something like this, and as shit as it sounds, you aren't a stranger to seeing people die Harry," Tonks quietly said as she stroked his hair and watched his face.

"Cedric," Harry whispered.

"Mhm, and there's the fact that these were all awful people trying to kill you, barring Snape, he probably took out a few of them to help you," Tonks added on. "And maybe it just hasn't sunk in yet, you might just be compartmentalizing," she guessed.

"What's that?"

"It's sort of where your brain just puts stuff in a box until it's ready to deal with it," Tonks explained. "In some cases, it's a healthy thing to do in times of stress, just to not overwhelm you, but if you repress it then it can get really nasty."

"So how do I not let that happen," Harry asked.

Tonks shrugged as she rolled over to straddle Harry. "Don't know in your case, everyone's a bit different. Some just talk about it with people they trust, others find hobbies to work through it, in bad cases people choose more destructive routes," Tonks listed ways for people to cope.

Harry reached around Tonks and pulled her closer to him. "I guess I can try talking, maybe that works, never did that before," He admitted.

"Great, but can it wait," Nymphadora asked.

Harry raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Why?" he asked before his question was answered by their stomachs growling. "Yeah okay, breakfa-, lunch first then," he said as he checked the time with the Tempus charm.

"You know, I'm an auror, I'm supposed to bust punks like you for underage magic," Tonks teased.

"Oh, got a pair of handcuffs do you officer," Harry waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Ahah, you tease," Tonks giggled as she pulled on her clothes from yesterday.

Harry shrugged and found his clothes to dress himself. "Well, let's go see the damage, it's been a day or so."

The pair entered the dining room and found a pair of empty seats that they took. However, the conversation died when people saw their appearance. Sirius whistled from one end of the table as Molly looked incredulous. "Nymphadora you whore, you slept with him," the mother shouted.

"Woah, what," Harry exclaimed as he wasn't ready for the attack this soon after waking up.

"Same clothes, hair a mess, you couldn't even wait twenty-four hours before you spread your legs for him," Molly chastised.

Nymphadora looked furious then shocked as she realized what their appearance implied. "No, it's not like that," she defended herself.

"Hey, hang on, Mrs. Weasley, me and Nymphadora did sleep together," he quickly replied. "I don't see why that's a problem or how it's any of your business," he said firmly.

Molly sputtered as most of the occupants of the room either gaped or sputtered in laughter as they realized what was happening. "That's irrelevant, she's not good for you if she's already doing those things."

"HEY," Vernon slammed his meaty fists on the table shouted from a corner where Dudley, Petunia and himself were seated. "If the boy and the girl are happy, leave them alone. None of you may like it, but as it stands, we are his legal guardians and I don't see a problem here."

Even those who knew what Harry had meant when he said that Nymphadora and himself slept together were shocked at Vernon coming to his nephew's defense. "You aren't even related to the boy so stop ordering him around, and as for spreading one's legs. I've seen your brood and it has been implied that this isn't all of them, so that's a bit hypocritical coming from someone like you then, isn't it."

"Did the fat man just call our mom a whore," Fred whispered to George

"I do believe so, but Mum was going a bit far," George quietly replied.

"So it's a bit of a wash," Fred asked.

"Get's a pass this time, since Mum brought it on herself," George agreed.

Molly sputtered in frustration before sitting down in a huff. Nymphadora smirked at the housewife getting told off and Harry looked at his uncle in confusion before the hefty man nodded and took a sip from his cup of tea. Harry nodded back and took a plate of food that was handed to him. "So uh, what's the weather like."

"Mate," Ron chortled. "Have you not seen the papers?" he laughed as he passed the Daily Prophet to his friend.

"I just woke up, when would I have had a chance," Harry said exasperatedly. "Woah, that's" he said as he started to scan the paper, Nymphadora resting her chin on his shoulder as she read along with him. "So they aren't printing lies about me anymore," Harry asked.

"Mhm," Minerva hummed. "Maybe now Cedric will get the proper respect he deserved for how he was murdered."

Harry looked down at the paper. "Yeah, that'd be nice, he was a good guy," Harry glumly said. "He didn't deserve to die just for being near me."

Nymphadora rubbed his shoulder and kissed the top of his head. "No more of that, you killed the bastard and avenged him, I'm sure he's delighted, specially because that way had to have hurt a whole lot, bleeding out with gardening shears in his neck."

"Well a dementor sucking out his soul stopped him from turning into a wraith like he did when he was riding Quirrel," Harry nodded.

"Wait what?" Sirius asked.

"Uh well, I mean," Harry said in confusion. "Yesterday wasn't the first time I'd fought him," he said.

Shacklebolt shook his head. "I think you need to tell Madame Bones every time you interacted with You-Know-Who leading up to his demise yesterday."

Harry looked up to Nymphadora for advice. "She's an honest woman Harry, I think she has a niece going to Hogwarts?"

"Susan," Harry guessed.

"Sounds right." Tonks answered.

"Susan's a nice girl, she's pretty nice," Harry said as he recalled any times he'd interacted with the redhead over the years. "I think I could try talking to this Madame Bones."

"That's good," Amelia said from the doorway as she walked into the room followed by Dumbledore. "Because I'm going to need your statement."

Harry looked at the woman in question. "Could I have someone with me, since I don't really know what I'm doing?" he asked.

Amelia smiled kindly. "Mr. Potter, I'm not trying to trick you into anything, but if it makes you comfortable you may have whoever you like, so long as they don't try to answer questions for you."

With that stipulation, Harry realized it immediately crossed off most of the room. While he was happy Vernon had decided to support his decision to date Nymphadora, he didn't think his relatives would make good council. Mrs. Weasley still looked miffed about being cowed earlier so he wasn't sure how well she would keep herself from interrupting, which also meant any of her children were out since she'd try to say it should be her. Sirius seemed a bit too impulsive and might not like what he heard. Hermione had been through nearly everything with him but he felt that her natural bossiness might be a hinderance. He was still pretty angry with Mad-Eye and really didn't know a thing about him as meeting him yesterday was the first time he'd ever talked to the man.

"Could Nymphadora come with me," Harry asked as he looked to his girlfriend for permission.

"I'll be there if you want me to Harry," Tonks nodded.

Amelia quirked an eyebrow at his odd choice as she had suspected he would have picked Albus or one of his friends, so she would make sure to ask why one of her newest aurors was so close to Harry Potter, in more than one way if the way Harry took her hand was an indication. "That will do fine, she's an auror and so will know the proper way things are done."

"That's good," Harry sighed in relief. "When did you want to do this?"

"After you finish eating, we can go to my office at the ministry or we could do it here," Amelia offered that concession, at this point she wasn't aware of what Harry Potter was capable of, but making him as compliant as possible was in her best interest to make this as smooth as possible. Harry smiled at the idea.

"I think your office might be the best," Harry answered. "We have a couple of people who like to eavesdrop," he teased as he looked at Sirius, Remus and the twins.

"Why I never-"

"Absolute picture of civility-"

"Never got caught breaking a law in my life-"

"You have no proof Harry-"

As the four pranksters denied the accusation. "Uhuh," Harry sarcastically said as he finished off his cup of tea, then standing from the table. "Ready to go Nym?" He asked.

The metamorph froze for a moment, before realizing Harry was addressing her. "Yeah sure," she quickly said as she followed him out of the room.

Amelia whispered quickly. "We're going to talk about this later, Auror Tonks."

"Yes Ma'am," Tonks hung her head, now worried about her continued employment.

* * *

When Harry exploded out of the floo and slammed his head into a desk in the auror bullpen, he hissed and held the sore spot. "Every time," he winced as he felt the knot.

"Did no one ever teach you to use a floo Mister Potter," Amelia asked as she saw Harry laying on the floor.

"No, second time using it, first time I ended up in Knockturn Alley," Harry admitted as he stood up. "Lucky Hagrid was there, almost got mobbed by some of the people there and they didn't look too friendly."

"I would suspect they weren't," Amelia agreed. "Here is a tip, step out of the floo or else it will eject you to make way for the person behind you."

"Huh, that simple?" Harry asked as he followed the two women into an office, which securely locked and wards came up to prevent listening in.

"Mhm, I'll help you with getting used to apparating later," Tonks said as she pecked Harry on the cheek. At this point resigned that she would be losing her badge, so she might as well not try to hide it.

"That's the teleporting thing," he asked for clarification.

"Yup," Tonks answered.

"So Mister Potter," Amelia said as she sat behind her desk. "To make this as simple and painless as possible, I need to ask you some questions about what happened yesterday," she started to explain. "There are plenty of ways to do this, but since this will likely be presented to the Wizengamot, I will say the easiest solution is to have you take a dose of veritaserum, or truth potion."

Harry nodded. "Sounds easy enough, uh before we begin though, the others felt I should tell you about all the times I interacted with Voldemort before yesterday," he mentioned.

Amelia froze, "There have been others," she asked cautiously.

Harry nodded. "It's actually been a couple of times over the last few years." Harry sighed as he remembered all the times he'd had to fight the insane dark lord.

Tonks reached over and rubbed circles into his back. "It's okay Harry, take your time, we're here for you," she comforted him.

Harry took a deep breath before raising him head. "I think I'm ready for that potion now."

Amelia passed Tonks the vial. "Three drops," she instructed the officer. Harry opened his mouth and stuck out his tongue and let Tonks pour the potion on to it. Amelia and Tonks watched as Harry's eyes glazed over indicating the potion had a hold over the young man.

"Mister Potter, I need you to explain each time you can recall interacting with the man known as Lord Voldemort," Amelia firmly said, not hitching her voice when she said the Dark Lord's name.

"The first time I remember was when I was a baby, I can hear my mother begging him to spare me if he would kill her instead and he, killed her," Harry said, voice devoid of emotion. But the tear trailing down his cheek belied his feelings. "She didn't have to, he was willing to let her leave if she got out of the way."

Both women were shocked to find out that Harry Potter remembered the night that made him famous. "I didn't see him again until my first year at Hogwarts. But I didn't know it was him until the end of the year when I confronted him underneath the school to stop who I thought was Snape from stealing the Philosopher's Stone. Apparently, Professor Quirrel had let him possess him, using him as a host."

As Harry started to explain, it took all of Amelia's willpower to keep writing the information down. She learned so much, that he'd been feeding on unicorn blood; his true identity, something no one seemed to know or those who did kept their mouth shut. It was astonishing to know that the symbol of the Pureblood movement was in fact a half-blood bastard. The story of the graveyard had her deciding to get Cedric Diggory a posthumous Order of Merlin.

When Harry stopped talking Amelia decided that anymore information would be too much, she had decided that she would need Harry to take her and members from the Department of Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures into the Chamber of Secrets to ensure there were no more basilisks for anyone to use. But she felt he had given her enough to work with. "I think you've said plenty. To protect yourself, don't be around anyone you do not trust for the next half hour while the potion wears off."

Harry nodded as he hadn't planned to go anywhere just yet. Amelia turned to Nymphadora. "Auror Tonks, I need you to explain what your relationship with Mister Potter is?"

"Why does that matter," Harry asked.

"Well Mister Potter," Amelia started. "First of all, she's an auror and I need to know if there are any potential conflicts of interest. Secondly, I need to know why she was with you yesterday and this morning. The last official reason is that you are underage, and she is not."

"Oh Merlin," Tonks gasped.

"I have no intention of breaking the two of you apart," Amelia quickly said. "Mostly because I don't want to piss you off Mister Potter."

"Why?" he questioned the reason for letting an adult and a child in a relationship.

"You may have just become the most important person in our society and I would like to keep a positive working relationship with you," Amelia admitted. "Attempting to disrupt your love life would likely do the opposite of that. And personally, after everything you said, I think she might be good for you. Merlin knows you've been through enough problems. Just don't go throwing it in everyone's faces, they may not like it."

Nymphadora gulped. "Well, it started yesterday, I was asked by Dumbledore to watch Harry in his home, and when You-Know-Who showed up, he was inches away from catching me when Harry confronted him, I offered myself to pay any debt that might exist, but he wanted something more than just a bit of fun, so I agreed to be his girlfriend."

Amelia sighed. "When people get wind of this, and they will, be careful Auror Tonks. After all this comes out, Mister Potter will likely be beyond reproach, you will not. And I wouldn't be surprised to see many women his age or not attempting to be in your position."

"I know," Tonks nodded. "I'm not sure what to do."

"Neither do I," Harry confessed. "But, I do know that I wouldn't want to be with someone who likes me just because I'm famous. I know Nymphadora's not like that."

"Hmm," Amelia hummed. "Then I will provide you a cover for as long it will last." She pulled out a piece of paper and wrote on it. "This will "officially" place you as his bodyguard for the time being, this will at least explain why you are around him."

Tonks took the sheet and nodded. "Thanks, that's going to help a bunch," she said.

"Now I need to write this report, be careful as you leave, I'm sure the Ministry is buzzing with the news, but since they may not expect you to be here right now, you might get out without being noticed," Amelia said as the couple started to leave her office.

* * *

Harry had been noticed and there were whispers from the aurors as they saw him leave the office. Tonks hastily handed the order to her supervisor who would file it away. The pair quickly fled to the elevators as they went up. "Here, we'll avoid the main chambers, we can use the chief warlock's office, I don't think Dumbledore will mind," she said as they moved through the maze of rooms.

"Please, just anything," Narcissa pleaded as she was forced out of another office by the occupant.

"Not a chance in hell Mrs. Malfoy," one of Lucius old business partners shouted. "I will not ruin my reputation for that Death Eater," he slammed the door in the face of the distraught wife. Narcissa screamed through gritted teeth in frustration at being rejected once more by the only people who might be able to speak in her husband's defense at his trial.

"Hello Auntie," Nymphadora said. "Fancy meeting you here."

Narcissa sighed and pushed her hair behind her ear, trying to compose herself. "Hello Nymphadora, I'm sorry I'm not in the mood to see anyone right now."

"Harry, you may not have met her, but this is my aunt, Narcissa Malfoy," Tonks teased.

Harry looked at the woman who stared wide-eyed at who he was introduced to his rival's mother. "Mrs. Malfoy," Harry nodded his head.

Narcissa scrunched her face. "Har, Mister Potter, please," she said desperately. "Would you please, find it in your heart to meet with me, I have something I urgently need to speak to you about," she begged.

"Harry no," Tonks said quickly. "She's going to try and get favors from you."

Harry agreed that Tonks was right, but the look of fear in the other woman's eyes, said there was something more. "I'm staying at Number 12 Grimmauld Place, I will talk with you tomorrow at noon, you'll have five minutes," Harry told her.

Narcissa had hoped for more, but that she wasn't immediately rejected was already more than she expected so she immediately accepted the offer. "I know where it is, I'll be there. And thank you Harry Potter," she silently said as she fled the offices.

"Harry," Tonks groaned.

"Sorry, but I figure I should at least hear her out, something's got her shook up," Harry shrugged.

"Damn hero idiot boy," Tonks grumbled as she led her boyfriend to the floo in Albus' Ministry office, her hair flickering through various shades. "I'm going to need so many cuddles to get my emotions under control today."


	3. Chapter 3

Harry deftly stepped out of the floo, following Madame Bones advice and found that he didn't end up on the floor, which he felt was a good thing as quite a number of people were milling about. Sirius looked up from his copy of the paper. "So come on pup, tell us, how did it go," he asked.

Harry shrugged. "I told her a lot of what went on, we made some plans, but I think I'm going to have to testify later if anyone has questions."

Dumbledore nodded. "Yes Harry, if Amelia is making this information as public as possible, then you will likely be asked to speak as many of the Death Eaters will have family to take up their seats."

Harry took a moment to absorb that before he remembered. "Oh Sirius, I hope you don't mind, I invited Narcissa Malfoy to come by tomorrow at noon."

"Cissy," Sirius sputtered. "What in the devil would she want."

"I don't know, but she seemed worried about something, I figured the least I could do is hear her out, maybe she knows something about Voldemort that we don't, I mean he was likely staying in their home," Harry guessed.

"Just be careful pup, she's clever," Sirius warned as while he didn't like the idea of inviting any Malfoy into his home, it was something that Harry had agreed to and he wanted to allow Harry to make his own decisions. "I'll make sure to give you some privacy to talk."

"I uh, would actually like you to be there. I don't really know her that well, or at all really, and you are her cousin," Harry asked.

Sirius paused for a moment, then smiled as he was happy that Harry was including him in his life. "I wouldn't miss it pup," he gave his answer as Harry sighed.

"Man am I hungry though, that veritaserum really gives you an appetite," he grumbled as he rubbed his stomach.

"Go on ahead, I wanted to ask Tonks a few things," Sirius said as he waved Harry on. When the teen had disappeared into the kitchen, Sirius rounded on his cousin. "Alright spill, what's going on that he either didn't tell me or didn't think to."

Tonks who stepped back at the intensity Sirius was giving off. "Well, he told Amelia about all the times he's dealt with You-Know-Who, which is way more than anyone I'd ever heard of and living. Then she asked him to get her into the Chamber of Secrets when he goes back to Hogwarts to make sure there aren't any more basilisks. Merlin's beard a basilisk, he fought a bloody giant basilisk with a sword," Tonks said as she flopped into a chair.

"Yeah, not too happy about that story," Sirius growled. "What else?"

"Well she decided that what he knew about You-Know-Who was enough but she likely will want to talk to him about anything else, then she uh, questioned our relationship," Tonks blushed deciding that hiding her emotions from Sirius or Dumbledore would be a bad decision and pointless.

"And, what has she decided to do about it," Albus asked curiously, being much older his last relationship being decades ago.

"Well uh, she made me his official "bodyguard" to explain why I'm hanging around him," Tonks explained. "So I think if he still wants to keep me around, I'll likely end up at Hogwarts with him, unless that is going to be a problem headmaster," she checked with him as he ultimately decided who entered the school.

"None at all Nymphadora," Albus replied. "I am actually relieved he will have someone more capable than just his friends looking out for him, they tend to do a better job of helping him get into more mischief than they do at keeping him out of it."

"Also she basically warned me, that while Harry is untouchable right now, at least for anyone who would try to say bad things about him, I am not, and that I would need to be careful about others who would wish to be in my position," Tonks said. "She didn't seem to mind that he's um, underage, but she also said she didn't want to do anything to sour a working relationship with him."

"Oh right, yeah, he is underage," Sirius snapped his fingers as he remembered that Harry wasn't as old as he thought he was. "Gets a little mixed up in here," he tapped his head. "What with him looking so much like his father, and on account of no child should have ever gone through the things he has," Sirius added on.

Tonks nodded as she gripped her arms. "Yeah, no kidding, even if the You-Know-Who stuff was the extent of it, that's still be too much for me."

Albus smirked. "So will you be requesting a married suite or just a side room in Minerva's office when you reside in Hogwarts," he teased.

"Oh no," Tonks groaned as she quickly got out of the chair and fled into the kitchen. She didn't want to deal with any embarrassing comments that the Headmaster or her cousin could come up with. Entered the room to find that Harry had sat down to eat along with most of the occupants and was fielding questions.

She could tell by the twitches of his facial muscles that he was getting frustrated, as most people reacted the same way unless they were trained not to. With a flick of her wand Ron's chair slid over and she pulled a chair into the now vacant space and sat in it, effectively walling Harry off from the others. As Harry smiled weakly at Tonks for helping him get out of being asked questions.

"So mate what's the plan then," Ron asked his friend. "Game of chess, going flying?"

"I don't really know," Harry shrugged then looked at his friends' crestfallen face. "Sorry, I'm just so used to doing chores around this time that I don't really know what to do with myself at the moment."

"Good," Hermione said as she came into the room carrying a pile of books that looked to be stacked dangerously high. "Then we can get our homework out of the way, we only have ten more weeks before the new year starts, and I don't want to get behind."

"Bloo-, I mean, seriously, ten weeks before we have to do this and you want to waste an entire day doing homework," Ron balked.

Hermione rolled her eyes at how dismissive Ron was being towards his education but knew he would eventually get it done. Harry looked at the stack of books and then nodded. "Yeah sure, I don't really have my trunk it's still at, well," Harry looked at his relatives.

"Nonsense, we can go get it, I think that the DMLE should have cleaned up the bodies by now," Tonks waved her hand dismissively. "We can also use it as a chance to get you a change of clothes and all that rubbish."

"Um," Dudley raised his hand. "I kind of need to grab a few things as well." He cautiously inserted himself into the discussion.

"Yes, this fr-, house doesn't have any of our things," Vernon said, stopping himself from insulting the building on the chance that it too could do things to him.

"Well, let's get the Headmaster to make a portkey back then, that'll be faster and easier than apparating and I'll take a guess and say that your house isn't connected to the Floo Network," Tonks nodded as the group left the kitchen.

"Mate, I'll come with," Ron offered. "You know just in case any more death eaters show up," he puffed out his chest as well as he could.

Harry chuckled. "Honestly, I'm just going to get a change of clothes and my school trunk, it's going to be a few boring minutes."

Ron rolled his head before sitting back down. "Well, you know, just if you needed back up."

"We'll be fine Ronald, you'd just be standing around doing nothing and right now I think you have bigger concerns," Tonks said cheekily.

Ron tilted his head in confusion before he felt a looming presence next to him. "Since Harry is going to get his school stuff, we can use this time to set up a plan on how we do our homework," Hermione began formulating a schedule for homework.

He turned his head quickly to find Harry, aiming big puppy dog eyes at his friend, begging for salvation. "Please, you're me mate, mate."

"Nah," Harry grinned before quickly ducking out of the room to avoid the biscuit Ron tossed at his head. In getting one last jab at his friend he missed the whispered conversation that Sirius and Albus were having.

"I can't have any kids Albus, why shouldn't I," Sirius said finally as the group approached. "What's all this then?"

"Need to get a few necessities, change of clothes, toiletries, so on," Tonks shrugged. "And figured a portkey would be easier."

"Quite right," Albus said eager to avoid the continued conversation he was having with Sirius about Harry's future. "Portus," he said as he tapped a roll of parchment he had with his wand. "Well you all know the drill then," he chuckled as they were whisked away back to Little Whinging.

* * *

The party landed in a pile on the grass, all except for Dumbledore, who managed to make every movement of his graceful, belying his age. The group picked themselves off of the Dursley's lawn which was now devoid of bodies, but certain markers remained. "Uh sir, what's that over there?" Harry asked as he pointed to a glowing outline.

"That's an outline of where the wanker's body was," Tonks smiled knowing that the DMLE collected Lord Voldemort's corpse and would likely vote to make that spot a national landmark. "Going to be the most famous rosebush in all of Britain soon enough," she joked.

"Stop right there," a voice shouted from behind them, before that unseen person let out a yelp as a spell impacted them dead center of the chest.

"Oh, terribly sorry about that Milburn," Albus said as he lowered his wand, the Headmaster was no slouch in combat and even through the invisibility cloak the auror was wearing, Dumbledore could see him clearly.

"Oh good, it's just you headmaster," Milburn sighed in relief, recognizing the elderly wizard for who he was. "What brings you here," he ask as he floated off the ground, his body frozen in place.

"Just bringing young Mr. Potter to collect some of his belongings," Albus answered as he began to converse with the former student.

"Well let's get a move on," Tonks ushered the Dursley's and Harry into the house. "Harry go upstairs and get your clothes and other things you need, where's your trunk?"

"In the cupboard under the stairs," he said as he and Dudley bounded up the stairs, followed by Petunia, leaving only Tonks and Vernon on the first floor.

With the cupboard only a few feet from the door it took no time for her to get to it and a simple unlocking charm opened the door, she reached in and grabbed the luggage case but paused as she saw some words scratched into the wood on the back wall. "Harry's Room," Tonks muttered. "What the fuck," she said as she stood up out of the cupboard. "Oi, Durlsey, what's this mean, Harry's Room," she asked. "This some kind of sick joke?"

Vernon tugged at his collar knowing that he would need to choose his next few words carefully, but also knowing that they could get him to tell the truth if what Harry had said about this potion he was given was true. "It might have, been a place, where he was raised until he got his letter to that school," he quietly whispered.

For a moment nothing happened, then Tonks' hair began to rapidly cycle through colors. "What in the ever loving, what do you mean," she said as she pulled out her wand and pointed it at Vernon. "This is where he was raised?"

"We kept the boy under the stairs until we were aware that they could find him there," Vernon whimpered.

"Why, what did he ever do to you," Tonks snarled.

"He existed," Vernon admitted.

Letting out a muffled scream of frustration through her pursed lips. "Of all the mind bogglingly stupid, pig head, bloody retarded things you could have done, you kept him in a cupboard. What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Well we," Vernon tried to answer.

"Do you know what people will do to you if this gets out, especially now," Tonks shoved Vernon backwards. "It would have been bad enough before they would have taken Harry away from you and wiped your memories of his existence, but now, they might try to send you through the Veil for that."

"What's the," Vernon asked.

"Or they might give you to the dementors, not even telling what Cousin Siri would do if he knew how you treated Harry, it might actually be a mercy to just kill you where you," Tonks ranted.

"Nym," Harry called out to Tonks.

Stop stopped her raving and turned to look behind her and could see that Petunia was hugging Dudley tightly to her while the three looked at how Tonks had her wand pressed to Vernon's throat. "Hare," she tried to said before he cut her off.

"You saw the cupboard then," he asked.

Tonks nodded in response.

"Well, let's go, I have my stuff," Harry said as he raised a bag, grabbed his trunk and walked out the door.

"Harry wait," Tonks said as she chased after him outside. She caught him easily because he had only taken a few steps. "Wait, what the hell was that," she demanded.

"My life, now let's go, we have to get back to Grimmauld Place before they start to worry," he sternly said. "Headmaster, we have our things," Harry called out to Dumbledore.

"What, oh no mister, you can't just not talk about this," Tonks said as she grabbed his arm.

"Not here, not now," Harry hissed as he shook her off. "Later, away from everyone."

* * *

Dumbledore kindly freed the auror before making another portkey and taking the group back to Grimmauld Place, where the Dursleys fled deeper inside the home and Harry started walking up the stairs, Tonks following him closely.

Sirius watched the strange behavior before turning to the Headmaster. "What the hell happened there," he asked.

Dumbledore shrugged. "They were only in the house for a few minutes Sirius, I think you'd need to talk to them to find out what went on in there."

"Harry," Tonks said as she shut the door to their room. Not even mentally touching on the idea that this was their shared room now. "Okay, we're alone, no one is listening," she said as she directed him to the bed and sat them both down. "What the hell did I see?"

"My life," Harry answered.

"Don't try and get cute with me," Tonks warned. "I mean it, what was that?" She noticed Harry's hesitation before she sighed and pulled him closer. "This isn't Auror Tonks trying to get evidence. This is Nym, your girlfriend, and I just want to make you feel better," she quietly said as she gently stroked his arm. "First thing about a relationship, we can't lie to each other, we need to be able to be honest about our feelings."

Harry shook his head. "I just, never told anyone about this." He whispered. "It's all I knew growing up, the anger, the yelling, the cupboard."

Instead of interjecting Tonks remained quiet while Harry spilled his guts about how he was raised.

"For years I wondered what I was doing wrong, how Dudley got everything and I never got anything. It was, I didn't even know my name until I was almost 4 years old Nym," Harry's breathing started to hitch. "I didn't know anything about myself, I was just this freak who lived in a cupboard under some stairs."

Tonks held Harry tightly as his body became wracked with sobs. "Shh, shh, it's okay let it out."

"I stopped, crying years ago," he whimpered as tears streaked down his cheeks. "I didn't cry anymore, not in front of other people."

"No one ever stops crying they just get better at holding it all in," Tonks tilted herself so she could kiss the top of Harry's head. "And if you need to cry, I'll be there for you. No problems, no questions."

"Thanks Nym," Harry sniffed as he rested his head on her shoulder. "It hurts," he admitted, clutching his chest. "Why does it hurt, it hasn't hurt for years, why now?"

"Because," Tonks whispered. "Now you know what love is, and your able to put it into feelings what you lacked."

"That's what love feels like," Harry asked quietly.

"I think so," Tonks answered earnestly.

"I think I like love, I think I like being loved."

"Yeah, it's pretty great," Tonks chuckled as she laid backwards with Harry following her onto the mattress. "So, what do you want to do then?"

"Well I like what we're doing right now," Harry answered. "Can we keep doing that," he asked hopefully.

"Aww, you're just a big cuddlebug aren't you," Tonk smirked as she rolled onto her side and pulled Harry's body close to her. "Okay, we can stay like this for a little while longer."

That little while became a few hours as the two napped on the bed. When they next arose, it was well into the evening and the couple found themselves being snickered at by the red headed menaces, while Molly looked ready to implode but managed to keep her mouth shut as the pair sat down at the table and plates of food were passed over. "So what did we miss," Tonks asked as Harry dug into his food.

"It was bloody horrible," Ron groaned as he flexed his hand. "She made me do homework for hours mate, hours," he whined as looked at an all too smug Hermione.

"Besides the slacker committee," Tonks stuck her tongue out at Sirius who replied in kind. "Did anything useful or interesting get accomplished?"

"I might have found where an old sect of Grindlewald's forces may have staged out of," Mad-Eye said.

"Huh, that's interesting," Tonks bobbed her head.

"Yes, it's a decrepit old building, called a Rumbelow's," he said.

"I uh, think that's just an old muggle electronic store that's closing down," Hermione interjected.

"Aye, that's just what they want you to think," Mad-Eye waved his fork at the brunette.

"Okay then, anything less crazy," Tonks added another stipulation.

"I have the letters for this year, to give out," Minerva stated. "I was planning on giving them this morning, when everyone was here, but it seems that Mr. Potter needed to spend some time in bed first," she smiled at the couple.

Most of the table was looking at McGonagall as if she had just grown three heads, even Alastor discretely waved his wand to check for any compulsions or disguises. Fred leaned over to George. "Did she just tease Harrikins?" he asked.

"I think so," George answered.

"I want off this wild ride."

"It took some careful consideration for this," McGonagall said as she sipped her tea.

"I made prefect," Hermione happily cheered as she bounced in her seat. "I didn't think I would."

"Really, you of all people," Ron rolled his eyes. "What a shock, I mean what's next, I made prefect," his teasing died out as he looked at the shiny badge that came out of his letter. "Wait, I made prefect?"

"Ron," Hermione questioned as she looked at the badge.

"Oh Ronniekins," Fred lamented as he faked passing out, placing the back of his hand on his forehead, before falling onto his twin. Unfortunately, George was doing the same thing and the two collided in a loud bonk before hitting the floor.

Through their chuckles, George sat up on his elbows. "Where did we go so wrong with you? Were we not bad enough influences on you?"

Molly whacked her twin sons on the head with a spoon. "That's a good thing you miscreants," she hissed before rounding on her youngest son and hugging him. "I'm so proud of you Ronald."

The redhead shrugged as he looked at Harry, who simply smiled. "Good for you mate, I think a bit of responsibility will do wonders for you."

"Uh professor, why me and not you know," Ron nudged his head over at Harry. "I mean, not that I'm not grateful but he did just you know, hrrk," he drew a finger across his throat. "You-Know-Who."

"Yes, I could see how you might think that, but I realized something, Mr. Potter, does not care for accolades or glory, and I think he'll be getting enough attention this year and for many to come as it is and does not need the pressures of being prefect placed on him as well."

"That's really nice of you, thanks," Harry said in between bites.

"What's all the hubbub," Sirius said as he smiled upon entering the kitchen, followed by Dumbledore.

"Ron and I made prefect," Hermione shouted as she showed off the badge.

"Well congratulations," Sirius replied as he ruffled the teen's hair. "Now, what's on the agenda for the week," he asked wanting to know what would be going on in his home, for the first time in a while having people to interact with meant he really liked being involved.

"Besides the meeting I have tomorrow," Harry said. "Not much, hey Hermione, aren't your parents going to come down and join us?"

"Why would they Harry, they're at home," Hermione questioned.

Harry paused for a moment to process. "But all of you were brought here for safety right," he looked to the adults in the room who nodded. "So why didn't your parents come with you?"

Hermione opened her mouth to answer and had to stop as she did realize how strange it was that only she came if the threat of the Death Eaters was so great that herself and the Weasleys had to take shelter behind a fidelius and the powerful wards of a dark and ancient house. "I, don't know," Hermione slowly stated.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Harry questioned.

"Well they," Hermione pointed to the adults in the room. "Showed up in the middle of the night and said I needed to come with them for safety."

"Oh my god," Harry exclaimed. "Do your parents even know that you're here?!"

"Of course, I wrote them a letter," Hermione huffed as if she would do something so inconsiderate as forgetting to tell her parents that she's staying with a friend.

"And they know about Volde-, Tom and all that?"

"Well not exactly," Hermione blushed as she realized she never told them the full details of the situation, that she was in hiding because the threat of attack from people wanting to kill her best friend.

Harry loudly slammed his head into the table and groaned. "Well since Tom and all his friends are dead, then everyone can go home, no need for all this now is there?"

The rooms occupants shared glances as the idea hadn't really sunken in yet and in the case of those aware of the Horcrux situation, they knew that the fight wasn't truly over yet. "I uh, think we should stay here," Minerva nervously said. "Who knows what elements have yet to surface, it's better to play it safe in these uncertain times rather than believe ourselves untouchable."

Mad-Eye nodded in genuine agreement with the statement. "All the Death Eaters from the attack were marked, we don't know how many sympathizers the Dark Lord had that didn't take the mark or had yet to."

"Like Quirrel," Harry sighed as he recalled his first defense professor's hidden allegiance. "I guess that makes sense," Harry mumbled as he in a strange way just wanted everyone to go home so he could pretend that his life wasn't going to be even stranger than it was.

Tonks reached over and rubbed Harry's back gently. "Don't get too down, at least the hard part is done right?"

Harry smirked a bit at the memory of Tom having his soul sucked out. "Yeah, at least the Dark Wanker's dead now."

"Well mister," Hermione said as she set aside her lunch. "We have some homework to do."

"Might as well," Harry shrugged as he pulled his head off the table. "Should do potions first, otherwise Snape is going to… right." Harry cringed as he recalled that Snape was one of the deceased from the attack.

"Yes, Severus," Minerva said wistfully. "Not only do we need to find a qualified professor for Defense Against the Dark Arts, but now we need a Potion's Master as well," she set down her tea cup and stood up from the table. "I better go speak to Albus, no sense waiting any longer than we have to." The remaining students shared some glances.

"Thank Merlin, we no longer have that greasy dungeon bat as a professor," Ron happily stated.

"Ronald," Hermione gasped at the casual dismissal of someone who had died. "We may not have liked him but he was still a person."

"So, the bloody git was attacking Harry all the same, I say he got what was coming to him," Ron countered.

Harry sat up a bit. "Ron, he was an ass to me for no reason, but he _was_ there to help me."

"Says who," Ron shot back.

"Nymphadora and the fact that he was a member of the order, do you really think Dumbledore, Sirius or Mad-Eye would let him in here if he wasn't loyal to stopping Voldemort," Harry questioned firmly, staring down his friend.

Facing his angry friend, Ron flinched, be it not used to hearing Harry speak with such authority or if it was because his friend's rare anger was directed at him, he looked down at his lap and apologized. "I'm gonna go, somewhere," Ron quietly said as he got up from his seat and left the room.

Slumping into his seat Harry was already exhausted. "Dammit," he swore as he stared at the ceiling. "I didn't mean to speak to him like that, I just," Harry looked at the occupants. "I really didn't, it's just. Snape was a bastard, but over the years, he's done what he could to keep me out of the really dangerous trouble. With the broomstick in first year, to getting us away from Moony. I don't like the guy but he at least didn't want me dead." Harry shook his head. "I don't even know what I'm saying anymore."

Sirius stood up and walked over to Harry. "It's fine, Snivel- Severus, was a hard person to understand. We, as in your father and I, were practically his enemies. His past made him who he is, as much as ours make us, but despite how much we loathed each other, he looked out for you when he could, so I think it's just you burying the hatchet."

Harry smiled as he felt Sirius wrap him in a tight hug. "Yeah, I don't think I'll ever like the guy, but I can't exactly hate him either."

"That's pretty mature Harry," Tonks informed her boyfriend. "Alright, enough of the mushy stuff, let's go do something to raise the spirits, not literally though," she giggled as she ran out of the room to go find something fun to do.

"You really do know how to pick them," Sirius teased.

"Oh ha ha," Harry shoved his godfather off of him.

"I mean it, your dad was smitten the day he met your mother," Sirius shouted at Harry as he left the room. "I just hope this has a happier ending," he silently prayed as the door shut to the kitchen.


	4. Chapter 4

While Tonks was busy upstairs looking for games for Harry and her to play, Harry was down in one of the lower rooms with Hermione as she went over the different lessons. "And this one from Defense was really tough," Hermione pointed to the question. "What spell would come from the motions of a half circle counterclockwise turn followed by a z formation and a jab." Despite the lesson plan having been made by the impostor Mad-Eye, it was still homework that the students would have to do, she knew she asked McGonagall.

"Bone Fragmentor, Ossum Divisarum," Harry numbly answered.

"How did you get that so quickly," Hermione said in amazement. "I had to check four different texts to find that answer."

"Tom used it on me, made sure I knew what would happen if it hit," Harry replied.

"Oh," Hermione pursed her lips as she realized that asking her friend about the dark arts would only remind him of the last few days. "How about we switch to herbology then?" she chuckled nervously.

"Whatever works for you Hermione," Harry slumped into the small table.

"None of that," Tonks said loudly as she stomped forward with a large box. "I found this upstairs." She slammed the wooden chest in between the teens. "Firesticks, Fountains and Fairies," she smirked. "I loved this game, we'd have huge tournies in the Hufflepuff Den back at Hogwarts."

"How do you play," Harry asked as he started to sit up, interested in anything not related to homework.

"It's easy, we'll just need a few more people," Nym smirked, she leaned over and gave Harry a light peck on the cheek. "I'll go see if the red headed terrors want to join." She disappeared back upstairs looking for the Weasley kids. She passed by Dudley on his way down the stairs as he slowly scanned the room before entering.

"Hey Dudley," Harry called out to his cousin. "We're going to play a game, want to join?"

"Me," Dudley pointed to his chest.

"No one else here by that name Dudders," Harry smirked. "Come on, at least me and Hermione have never played it, so you won't be the only one not knowing what you're doing."

"I dunno," he nervously replied unsure if he should get involved in any of the magical stuff. Taking a deep breath, he came over and sat next to Hermione. "What's it called?"

"Firesticks, Fountains and Fairies," Hermione said as she opened the box. "A game for all ages, three to three hundred. Made by Hamley's, interesting," Hermione said in confusion as that was a decidedly muggle company as far as she knew.

"Huh," Dudley commented as he looked in the box. "Looks, normal," he said as he picked up one of the pieces. "How do you play?" he asked.

"Well my fine fat friend," Fred said.

George chimed in, "It's quite simple my tough teen terror."

And it was not simple, the kids who didn't grow up in magical households had no idea how this game was played, it was a mess of dungeons and dragons, monopoly and parcheesi. "Uh so, my half-goblin banker," Harry mumbled. "Loses fourteen hit points to Hermione's ancient golem and I have to pass through Gringotts and pay a fee of thirteen galleons," he continued as he tried to comprehend the sequence of actions.

"Children, it's getting late," Molly called out from the kitchen.

"Oh thank Merlin," Harry said as he stood up with groan. "Well that was, a game," he smiled weakly as he looked at the board, his pieces had been utterly demolished once Hermione had started to figure out the rules.

"You are a natural," Tonks smirked at the brunette, tapping the box with her wand, which packed away all the pieces. "I think you might be a ringer down at the Friday FF&F that's done in Flourish and Blotts. If you'd like to join us?" she offered.

Hermione smiled at the compliment. "That sounds wonderful, I might take you up on that offer."

The group of young adults headed up the stairs to the higher floors of the old house. Harry and Nymphadora said their goodnights to the group and entered their room. "How am I this tired," Harry yawned as he stripped out of his clothes.

"You had a busy day," Tonks answered as she removed her robes and climbed into the bed.

Harry not a moment behind her got under the sheets and pulled Tonks close to his body. In seconds he was asleep, and Tonks could just smile as she watched his face and listen to his soft breathing. "He's so young," she whispered as she snuffed out the lights in the room. It took her a little bit longer to fall asleep than Harry, but she hadn't been potioned or had as much going on in the last few days as he did.

* * *

Much later in the night, down in the den, Sirius had Vernon and Petunia on a couch. "Okay Dursley, spill, what happened," Sirius demanded. "Why did you come back from your home in a panic and why did Harry look so damn pissed off?"

A few minutes later all but two occupants of Number 12 Grimmauld Place had been awoken by Sirius' angry shouting.

"What the bloody hell are you doing Padfoot," Remus shouted as he stormed into the parlor where Sirius was ranting and raving.

"Me?!" Sirius exclaimed. "I'm not the, they did, I swear if I had a wand then I'd actually be in Azkaban for murder this time."

"Patience, patience," Dumbledore said calmingly was he entering the room. "Sirius, it is very late, please, tell the rest of us why you have decided the entire building needed to be awoken," his voice carrying as he motioned showing that only Tonks and Harry weren't present.

"They bloody abused my godson," Sirius pointed accusingly at the Dursleys.

"They did what!" Minerva exclaimed as she pushed past the others in the room. "Petunia Evans, how could you, your own flesh and blood," she hissed. "Oh if Lily were alive to see, oh wait, she likely did see because Harry said the spirits of his parents were released from Voldemort's wand after their duel."

"Now hang on, hang on," Shacklebolt said as he pulled back the irate professor. "As much as we trust Sirius, we have not heard their side, no sense throwing accusations around and then not letting them defend themselves."

"Okay," Mad-Eye shrugged as he pulled out a couple of vials. "I got veritaserum right here, we can get answers from them easy enough."

"That's a controlled potion," Remus narrowed his eyes.

"Yes, I am in control and now I will potion people," Mad-Eye barked out a laugh. "I had been planning to dose Snape and the twins to get information out of them. But this should be just as fun."

Fred and George gulped in sync with each other before sharing a glance. "He's joking right?"

"Do we want to take that chance?"

"No, no I don't."

"Agree to not eat anything we didn't prepare ourselves?"

"Do you think that would really work?"

"Don't take away what little hope I have."

"Wait, you can't be serious about this, Professors," Hermione pleaded. "Is this really how we are going to go about getting answers?"

Dumbledore sighed. "No, there should be a better way to do this, but alas, I cannot think of one."

"Really," Ron said in amazement. "Can't think of any other way to find out what happened to _Harry_?!" he added forcefully. "Who is here, upstairs." He finished pointing at the ceiling.

"Oh right," Arthur snapped his fingers. "We could just ask him, yeah couldn't we."

"Good idea Ron," Ginny said before pausing. "That sounded wrong coming out of my mouth."

"Hey, I'm allowed good ideas every now and then," Ron rolled his eyes.

"Where is Harry, you'd think he'd have come down with the rest of us," Molly commented as she looked around and didn't see him or Nymphadora.

"Oh right, his room is soundproof, no noises in or out," Sirius smirked. "Didn't want anyone interrupting him if he and Tonksie decided to play hide the wand," he said proudly as he waggled his eyebrows.

"And not a good idea Ronald," Hermione said. "We've known Harry for four years, if he didn't say anything about abuse to us, his best friends, then he either was never abused or doesn't want to talk about it. We couldn't even make him if he didn't want to since he'd just avoid talking about it."

Mad-Eye coughed and waggled the vials of veritaserum in his hands.

Shacklebolt rolled his eyes before snatching those from the retired auror's hands. "Give me those," he said in annoyance. "These better not have been pilfered from the DMLE, Amelia would shove a Nimbus up your backside and mount you on the wall if you did."

"Of course not, they were purchased," Alister denied.

"That doesn't help, you can't buy this from a legal vendor," Shacklebolt hissed at the man.

"It was ages ago," Mad-Eye waved off the concern.

"You were going to use expired potions on people," Molly exclaimed.

"So they get a little stomach ache, it's perfectly fine," Moody started to talk before Sirius yelled.

"We are getting off topic, Dursley, did you or did you not, abuse Harry," he demanded to know.

"Yes," Vernon answered loudly. "Since you'd probably poison the food, I'll just come out with it now, we did," he said firmly.

"Why?" Albus asked, his tone weary and his face deflated. "Why would you do that?"

"Because he was magic," Vernon folded his arms. "You just dumped the boy on our doorstep in the middle of the night with no regard to our lives."

"Your lives," Sirius snarled at the couple. "Oh the poor muggles had to feed another kid, raise their own blood," he said sarcastically as he paced around the room.

"How would you like it to wake up one morning and find a child on your porch that you now have to raise?" Petunia asked as she looked around the room. "And then to find out that your sister had just been murdered that night, all through a letter. You coward," she said angrily as she glared at Dumbledore. "You couldn't have bothered to say it to my face, to look me in the eye as you passed the boy onto us."

"I didn't even know magic was real until the blasted boy teleported right out of his crib," Vernon grumbled. "I had no context to all of this, I thought I was going mad, until I told Petunia what I was seeing and she explained it to me. The amount of fires his magic started, he nearly killed Dudley," Vernon waved his arms dramatically.

"Wait, Harry almost killed me," Dudley asked his father.

"You should be too young to remember sweetie, but when you and Harry were playing one afternoon a toy he was playing with broke, and he cried and cried and cried," Petunia told the story. "The house shook like there was an earthquake."

"Wait I remember," Dudley answered. "Is that why you have that scar dad?"

"Yeah the boy lost control of his magic, all the glass in the house exploded, but it was when he started throwing things around the room that it began really dangerous, his magic grabbed a knife and had I not smacked it out of the air then it would have been stuck right through your gut," Vernon answered.

"We were not ready for a child with magic in our home," Petunia said exasperatedly. "I knew just enough to make all the wrong decisions, and I had no one to turn to, I couldn't get to that Alley or even find that bar anymore, so I couldn't go buy an owl to send any of you a letter and I didn't know where to find any of her friends," Petunia said as she sobbed, finally venting all the frustrations. "Not as if they'd talk to me, since you made it illegal to talk to people like me in the first place."

"We had nowhere to go for help and no one to turn to, did we overreact," Vernon spoke. "In hindsight, yes, very much, but we didn't know what to do and we were afraid."

As the Dursley adults finished their piece, the rest of the witches and wizards in the room who had previously been furious with the muggles started to understand that while what Vernon and Petunia did was reprehensible, they could see how much of a struggle it must have been. "He's not going back to your home," Molly said fully prepared to keep Harry at the Burrow rather than sending him back to Privet Drive.

"Deal, all those bastards who wanted him dead are dead, he's got no reason to stay with us anymore," Vernon agreed.

"Soon as all this legal situation is squared away and Amelia gets me my freedom, you'll sign a document granting me custody of Harry," Sirius demanded. "Then you all can get the hell out of my house and we'll pretend like we never met."

"Get me a pen and I'll sign it right now if you'd like," Petunia nodded. "Can we all go to bed now," she asked the room.

"Fine," McGonagall said as she stormed out of the room, followed by many of the others who felt their presence unnecessary.

* * *

The next morning when Harry and Tonks rolled out of bed and managed to make their way to the breakfast table they noticed that the adults were very tense, yet no one seemed to be able to look him in the eyes. "Did something happen last night?" Harry asked as he poured some syrup on his pancakes. He only received grunts and noncommittal answers as replies. Sighing he looked over to Ron who just gulped and looked at his plate of food. "So no one is going to tell me then?" he said dejectedly. "Which means it's about me," he said out loud as he worked through the problem. "Course, that means it can't be good or they wouldn't not talk to me."

"Ugh, will you pillocks just tell him already," Tonks said in annoyance as she really did not enjoy how they were treating Harry. "What more is going to be put on his shoulders that you don't think he's ready for?" she demanded to know.

"Harry, you've been abused," Hermione quickly spat out as she looked at Harry who seemed frozen upon hearing those words.

Slowly Harry's lips turned into a grin and he started to chuckle, before the only sound was Harry's loud laughter filling the room. "Oh, you, you, oh wow, that's bloody bril Hermione," he said as he wiped a stray tear from his eye. "I was worried for a second that it was something serious." Harry turned back to his meal and forked another bite of food into his mouth.

"It is serious Mr. Potter," McGonagall said as officially as she could. "What they did to you," her finger pointed at the Dursleys. "Was wrong." Her tone trying to convey as much caring as she could feel for the young man.

Slamming his fists on the table startling everyone at the outburst. "You think I don't know that!" Harry shouted at the top of his lungs. "You think I grew in a tiny cupboard under the stairs and thought that was normal, that it was okay?!" Harry snarled at his professor. "I knew it was bad, but there was nothing I could do about it. I knew how Petunia and Vernon loved Dudley and despised me was wrong," he said as he stabbed his finger in his relatives direction. "I knew that the way they used me as cheap labor, was wrong. I knew at eight BLOODY years old, that I had NO ONE who loved me, and you want to know what I did? I accepted it," Harry's voice turned harsh and thin. "I had no other choice, it was accept that this is wrong and I couldn't do anything about it or try, try, try, try and BLOODY try to get them to look at me with anything other than disgust and hatred. If I chose the other option, I'd have probably killed myself before I even got that fucking letter."

"So yes, I was abused," Harry slowly calmed himself down. "Yes I know they were awful people for doing it, and no I don't rightly give a rat's ass about it anymore, because despite everything, it made me who I am today, and the me now, is actually happy with what he has," Harry said as he stepped away from the table. "Nym, I'm going for a walk," he said to her as he left the room. "I'll be back for my meeting at noon," he said as the sound of a door slamming signaled that Harry had left the building.

"Merlin that was scary," Fred said to George as everyone started to pick at their plates.

"How can he be okay with all of that," Sirius quietly asked. "He didn't deserve any of it and he's, he's." he stammered trying to find the right words.

"Strong, that's what he is," Nymphadora answered for him. "Everything that he's been through, from the abuse, to fighting Voldemort over and over, the giant beasts, it made his strong enough to survive."

"So what do we do, you seem be about the only one who knows how to handle him these days," Dumbledore inquired.

"Let him come to you, he's so tired of everyone thinking he needs help," Nymphadora explained. "When he's ready, he'll talk, but don't be surprised if he doesn't want to talk about this, for him, this is the past, it's over, he doesn't have to deal with it anymore." After saying her piece she quickly went up stairs to throw some clothes on and to grab her cloak.

* * *

As Harry stalked through the neighborhood he was looking for anything to take his mind of his uncalled for outburst. "I was a stubborn fool, they were only asking because they were concerned. I shouldn't have exploded on them like that," Harry sighed as he found the pizza place from earlier. As he stepped in the cashier looked up from stacking new cups.

"Hey, welcome back," she said. "I was hoping you'd come back," she said as she pulled an envelope from under the counter. "Your grandpa really overpaid us, it was only twenty pounds and he gave us a fifty, it wouldn't seem right to take advantage of the elderly like that, so we put the rest in here for you.

"How'd you know it was me?" Harry asked as he took the envelope.

"Well your big sister was kind of a 'unique' individual," she giggled as she pointed to her hair, causing Harry to remember that Nymphadora typically wore bright colors as her hair.

"Yeah I guess you're right, but she's not my sister," Harry smiled.

"Cousin?" The cashier asked only for Harry to shake his head. "Friend? Coworker? Boss?" her guesses becoming more unsure.

"Girlfriend," Harry smirked, proud to say that word to someone.

"Really, darn." The cashier snapped her finger. "The hot ones are always taken."

"Sorry," Harry shrugged.

"Seems a bit old for you," the cashier questioned, giving Harry a look over.

"Hey you said it yourself, she's hot," Harry chuckled.

"Well I can't fault you there." the cashier snorted as she joined him in laughing. "So what can I do for you?" she said as she raised her notepad.

"Is advice on the menu?" Harry asked as he remembered why he was walking about.

Looking around at the empty parlor she waved to her boss in the back. "Buy a couple of drinks and I'll try," she smiled.

As the two sat in a booth. "So, girlfriend troubles?" she inquired.

"No, actually that's about the only thing going well right now, Nymphadora is amazing." Harry smiled. "Got some 'legal' trouble, family and friends are around a lot and it's just super busy and I kind of exploded on them earlier," Harry sighed as he tried to give what he could without cluing her into who he really was. "It wasn't even there fault, they only asked because they were worried about me."

"That's really tough," the cashier replied. "Honestly, the worst I got was a row with my mum about her finding some girlie mags under my bed when I was fourteen," she said. "But, what I did know was that no matter how mad she was at me, I was her daughter and she loved me. It took time, she wasn't all that comfortable when I brought my friends around."

"Dad was giddy as could be, knowing that he didn't have to worry about any boys sneaking over," she snorted back a laugh.

"What I'm trying to say is, they did that because they care about you, so don't hold that against them."

"You're right," Harry sighed as he listened to her advice. He took a sip of his drink as he looked at the clock. "Well I have an important meeting to get to in a couple of hours, so I should get back and let them know I'm okay, maybe apologize for yelling. Can I just get a some pizzas to take back, there's, Vernon, Ron, Fred," he started to count off all the people. "Jeez, seventeen of us, no eighteen," Harry added on as he remembered Creecher. "You know what better make that enough for twenty-five people," Harry said as he remembered that Arthur Weasley was at work and that there might be more people coming by later in the day.

"Wow," the cashier said. "That's gonna be like seven large pizzas."

"Here's this back and I got some extra to cover," Harry said as he passed another fifty pound note to the cashier. "Just keep whatever is left over, you really helped me out today."

"Hey boss, you need to make seven pies!" she called out to the back.

"Seven?! That little twerp is gonna eat seven of my pies," the boss scoffed.

"Nah it's for his family and friends," she called out. "He's got over two dozen people to feed."

"Two dozen," the boss laughed. "Now that, is a real Italian get together, course I'll do it," he said as he started tossing the dough around.

"Well that'll be a bit. So Nymphadora, that's a unique name," the cashier asked.

"She's a unique woman," Harry smiled. "I meant it, she's just about the best thing that's ever happened in my entire life, and the only thing I haven't managed to screw up yet. She's there for me, she cares, she, makes me feel loved," Harry said softly. "I need to do something special for her."

"Mmm, what does she like?" the cashier said as Harry looked at her confused. "What, I like girls and am a girl, I'm the perfect person to help you with this problem. So come on, I'll help you plan a great surprise for her. If it all goes well, maybe yo lucky," she winked.

Chuckling nervously Harry blushed and looked away for a moment. "Music and board games," Harry answered.

"Good, a concerts always an option, if she likes games, then you could always take her to the UKCAC it's on September thirtieth to October first, it's got all these nerdy comicbook guys and game people showing up."

"That's a good idea, maybe she'd like to go to that," Harry mused.

"What about her job, maybe surprise her at work?"

"I think I caused enough surprises at her work," Harry chuckled as he realized how insane the magical world must be going right now.

"Oh where's she work?"

"Aur-, um police officer," Harry corrected before he said a job that didn't exist in the non-magical world.

"Scandalous," the cashier squeal. "Does she have handcuffs?"

"Yeah," Harry answered.

"She ever use them on you?" the cashier asked seductively.

"No!" Harry sputtered as he answered.

"Maybe give her a reason to," the cashier said with a wink.

"Alright, stop harassing the poor boy," the boss said as he laid out the stack of boxes on the counter. "Get on out of here," he waved to the door.

"Thanks, and bye," Harry said as he headed out the door to go back to Grimmauld Place.

"Good bye Harry Potter," the cashier sighed as the door shut. "And good luck," she added on as she pulled out her copy of the Daily Prophet.

* * *

"So pizza then," Tonks said as she revealed herself by pulling off her invisibility cloak.

"Merlin," Harry shouted as he jumped away from Tonks, nearly toppling over as he carried the pizza boxes. "Don't do that Nym, you nearly scared the life out of me."

"Sorry," Nym apologized. "Wait, no I'm not, that was hilarious," she laughed loudly into the sky.

"You mind taking a few of these," Harry grunted as he adjusted the stack of boxes, with seven pizzas, plus a little weight from the boxes, it was about twenty pounds he was carrying in his arms.

"Fine, fine, it's the least I owe you for spooking you, and eavesdropping," Tonks said as she took the top three boxes.

"Thank you, wait?" Harry paused. "Eavesdropping? You were listening to my conversation?!" he exclaimed in shock.

"Yup," Nymphadora smirked

"Uh how much, exactly did you hear," Harry asked as he was already prepared for the worst.

"All of it," Nymphadora's lips parted into a large smile. "I didn't know you thought so highly of me."

"I do though," Harry replied. "What I said back there, about you being the best thing to happen to me, I meant it." Harry said as they walked along the sidewalk. "You know for a while magic was that, I found out I wasn't a freak, I had a place that I might belong, somewhere I could make friends and better life."

"You said was?" Nymphadora looked over at Harry.

"Yeah, then it became this new place, where I trained to just survive til the next year. The past always coming back, the constant threats," Harry explained why his attitude towards magic changed. "It was only just better than staying with the Dursleys. But you," Harry said as he closed his eyes. "You're different, the threats don't matter, the Dursleys don't matter. The only thing that matters is what I feel about you and what you feel about me."

_'God damn, you sweet, lovable, idiot-boy,'_ Tonks swore to herself as she realized that she was genuinely falling for Harry. "Harry, that's beautiful," Tonks said.

"Those are just words, you're beautiful," Harry smirked, proud he had come up with a good line for once.

"You're such a softy," Nymphadora giggled as they walked up the steps of Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

After shutting the door behind them, Harry called out he brought pizza with him, much to the confusion of most of those in the magical world who had no idea what pizza was, Harry set the food on the table and cleared his throat. "I want to say something," he called out to get everyone's attention. "I'm sorry. I know you only brought it up because you cared, I shouldn't have yelled at you all."

"Harry," Sirius said as he pulled his godson into a hug. "It's okay. Nothing's broken, we're here, you're here, it's going to be okay."

"Thanks Sirius," Harry said as he wrapped his arms around his godfather.

"What is this?" Fred asked as he sniffed the pizza.

"Really, you've never had pizza before?" Hermione said as she pulled a slice out of the box and took a bite.

"Oh thank Merlin," Remus happily shouted as he grabbed a box and took it over to the coffee table. He nearly wept as he took a bite of the cheesy Italian dish. "No offense Molly but if I had to keep eating stew after stew, I was going to lose it."

As the occupants started to enjoy their lunch, Nymphadora pulled Harry off to the side. "Hare, I just wanted to," Nymphadora said as she took a deep breath.

"Yeah?" Harry questioned.

"Close your eyes," Nymphadora requested.

"Sure," Harry said as he complied with what she wanted him to do.

Harry felt Nymphadora gently place her lips on his own. Slowly Harry's hands snaked up until they were resting on her back, holding her against him, deepening the kiss.

After a few seconds they pulled apart. "So, yeah," Nymphadora licked her lips. "That's for being so sweet."

"Wow," Harry said as he stared into Nymphadora's eyes. "I think I really like that."

Before they could continue further Sirius stuck his head around the corner. "Oh, well," he said as he say that the two were holding each other with flushed faces. "Sorry to intrude, but Cissy is going to be here in an hour and you need to get ready."

"What do you mean?" Harry asked.

"You need to look like the Man-Who-Conquered, really show her your new position and attitude in life. Right now you kind of look like, slightly classy hobo," Sirius waggled his hand in the air.

"It's not that bad is it?" Harry replied as he pulled at his shirt.

"Harry, the only good looking thing on you is Tonks right now," Sirius said. "And that's not going to impress or intimidate Cissy, maybe arouse," He teased as he saw the pair blush. "Don't worry I got an old suit you can wear, you'd probably fit it with some adjustment and you'll clean up real nice." Sirius promised as he took Harry further upstairs to prepare for his meeting.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Ministry of Magic, officials were scrambling from department to department as they had all read the morning paper.

"Where is that report?"

"I need copies of any letter the Ministry has sent to Mr. Potter, five minutes ago."

"Who's that fellow who's children are friends with Mr. Potter, Wethersbee, Wimbly, oh toss."

About the only two people in the entire complex who weren't scrambling around was Madame Bones, who had all her ducks in a row and Arthur Weasley ,who had expected the chaos and was sitting at his desk eating a sandwich watching everyone else panic.

"I am the Undersecretary to the Minister," Dolores shouted. "You will all cease this nonsense and get back to timely work, it's all a sham." she tried to say over the noise, but no one was going to listen to her, not with the prophet showing the bodies on the front page and with dozens of owls arriving every minute asking for more information.

"We need to call an emergency session. Where is the Minister?!" someone shouted.

In the office sitting under his desk holding a bottle of fire whiskey, the Daily Prophet's pages strewn about the office with an open folder full of a copy of Amelia's report in it, sat Cornelius Fudge. He was rocking back and forth with his eyes closed. "No, it can't be true, it can't be," he moaned to himself trying to deny the truth in front of him, because if he acknowledged it, he'd have to accept that he was in very hot water.


	5. Chapter 5

After getting a suit adjusted to fit him, Harry was surprised just how much better he actually looked when not forced into wearing Dudley's castoffs. "Now if only we could do something about the hair," Sirius lamented. "James' hair was the same, not even a Sleekeazy Potion would fix that rat's nest." Shaking his head as he made sure Harry was ready to sit in a proper meeting with a lady.

Downstairs Tonks was corralling the residents into other rooms so that the parlor would be empty for Harry to use. "Come on, Harry's got a meeting with someone and he doesn't need eavesdroppers." She scolded the twins who had pulled out extendable ears.

"Nonsense, how could he have a meeting here, the building is under Fidelius," Molly scoffed. Which would normally be correct.

"Except this is Lady Malfoy, who used to be a Black and this was her home, you can't hide the knowledge of someone's home from them," Tonks said as the kids scampered off into the upper floors.

Albus set down his cup of tea. "Alas she is correct." His voice raspy just the way he liked it. It exudes an air about him that was mysterious and knowledgeable. "While a Fidelius is a powerful charm, it only prevents people from learning about the secret, however should this person have known it before it does not have the power to make them forget and thus is a weakness of the spell." As the idea that a spell would essentially have a global reach and affect every person who was not even a part of the spell is a ludicrous misunderstanding of the magic itself.

* * *

"So Pup," Sirius said as he sat uncomfortably on a chair, having not worn a suit in almost a decade meant that the tie was very constricting. "What do you know about Cissy?"

"She's Draco's mum." Harry shrugged. "And that's about it."

"Oh Harry," Sirius rolled his eyes. "You are going to be eaten alive in the pure-blood world." He lamented his godson's lack of knowledge.

"I don't see what the big deal is," Harry shrugged.

Sirius sagged in his seat. "I can see why, you probably never really encountered these situations organically at Hogwarts. Well let me explain a bit, the pure-bloods, are rich, pompous arseholes who think very highly of themselves. Normally people don't really care, but money is power and many pure-blood families are old and have wealth that reaches back hundreds of years, in various creations, businesses and property."

"Why should I care about that?" Harry folded his arms in annoyance.

"Because Harry, you basically are one. And you are going to be expected to behave a certain way, not necessarily the same as someone like Lucius, but being a slob, crude or easy to anger, will not look well on you or the ideas you hold." Sirius explained. "Right and wrong ultimately don't matter, what with moral relativism and such. It's how you present yourself that will convince others to follow and believe in you."

"That sounds like what Tom did." Harry grunted.

"No shit," Sirius spat out, startling Harry with his use of harsh language. "You really think that if someone like Tom just appeared at Lucius' doorstep preaching what he did, looking like a drunken, disgusting hobo, swearing and frustrated that Lucius would have even given him the time of day?"

"I don't get it, what does that have to do with any of this." Harry inquired, curious to see what point his godfather was attempting to make.

"Harry, if you want to do good, it's not enough that you think you are right, others have to as well. If you want people to take you seriously, you have to play on their level." Sirius straightened Harry's tie for him after the teen kept tugging on it. "And even you have to admit someone who dresses and speaks like Lucius Malfoy would do a better job of convincing people of something than your buddy Ron."

Thinking back to how he had seen Ron behave over the years and how Lucius from the few minutes of interaction over the years, he could agree that people would take the latter much more seriously, even in nonsensical situations, than they would Ron in serious ones. "I never really thought about how one's image impacted their message." Harry admitted.

"That's alright, your... _relatives... _likely never bothered to properly explain proper customs to you." The fireplace flaring too life in green fire as soon as the clock struck noon, alerted the room's occupants to forgo their conversation for another time. Stepping through, Sirius was shocked to see the state that his normally prim and proper cousin was in.

"Muh-muh, Mister P-potter," Narcissa said as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please, help me," she sobbed as she slumped to the floor.

* * *

Narcissa had been having an awful day, once that issue of the Daily Prophet had gone out, it wasn't just angry letters, or even howlers that she received. A number of them held cursed objects and even muggle made bombs to try and kill her for her husband's actions. If it wasn't bad enough they were even being sent to her son Draco, with many of them coming from other Hogwarts students who were making sure to let him know what they really thought of him after all these years.

"I can't sleep." Droplets falling into the carpet from her eyes. "They formed a mob." Looking up Harry was shocked to see the heavy bags forming on her cheeks, and her bloodshot eyes. She had tried to go out for something simple and when she was discovered the crown began to pelt her with objects, it started out as food and rubish, until someone banished a rock at her head.

Harry was able to see the faint line of a cut on the side of Narcissa's face. "I don't understand," Harry stammered as he cautiously approached the distraught woman. "How can I possibly help you?" Unsure of what the lady wanted of him.

"They're going to kill Lucius," Narcissa wailed. "Please, don't let them kill him. My son needs his father."

"Who is, who is going to kill him?" Harry inquired.

"The Ministry, he's the only one who was alive after you slaughtered the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters. They want to make an example of him." Her voice cracking as she heard the mob at night shout at her that her husband would suffer a more and more gruesome death as the taunts and threats continued. That they then directed those same actions towards her and her son worried her even more. Especially after Lucius died, she'd have moments to try and get control of the wards before people breached them and destroyed her home and attacked the occupants.

The normally peaceful wizarding community, in a frenzy after it was made known just how much danger they had almost been in. That they had been saved by the same child once more only further galvanized their feelings on the situation and it fed into their fears and anger.

Stunned Harry hadn't really thought that the Ministry would execute someone, in a way he knew governments did that, but it just wasn't something that ever came to the forefront of his mind. "Is there even anything I can do?" Harry asked as he was unsure of the legal procedures of the wizarding world, he barely knew how the muggle world ran.

"Just, speak on his behalf," Narcisssa pleaded as she held her forehead to the floor. "If you can convince them to not kill him, I will," she slowly said as she tried to think of anything the Boy-Who-Lived could want. "I'll swear myself to you, nothing more than your property, but you have to help Lucius, my son can live without me in his life. But he needs his father. I'm begging you. Please." her voice cracking as her emotions roiled.

Before Harry could even reject the idea of essentially owning another person as a slave. He was forcefully grabbed by the collar of his shirt. "I know what you are going to say, you can't." Sirius said, his voice and eyes broaching no nonsense.

"But I don't want, _property." _Harry said exasperatedly as he looked to his Godfather, hoping for a solution to this problem.

"I know pup, and she doesn't want to be property, but this is a life for a life," Sirius nodded to ensure Harry was paying attention. "If you saved him without accepting her offer. The _entire _Malfoy family would essentially become your vassal, are you prepared to rule over their family."

"What, no?! But I'm not ready to have her either," He waved his hand at Narcissa who was expectantly waiting for an answer.

Sirius shook his head. "I know, it's awkward, but this is the best she can give you. She has no control over the Malfoy line or fortune, that all still belongs to Lucius, unless he dies, then it goes to Draco, however if you stepped in, then none of it is theirs anymore, you would essentially own all of their possessions, forever, they would no longer be free to to run their own house." Sirius continued to explain the customs. "But if she gives herself to you, then you can't claim ownership of her house."

"That's still slavery Sirius," Harry exclaimed.

"Only sort of," Sirius said delicately. "You couldn't do whatever you wanted to her. But Harry, Narcissa was raised on pure-blood customs and traditions, she would never do this if she knew of any other way." Sirius' tone was sad as he understood the sacrifice that his cousin was attempting to make.

"I don't know what to do." Harry sighed as he looked at the terrified and crying woman, he knew he couldn't tell her no. Every fiber of his being was calling out for him to help.

Pulling Harry into a hug and patting him on the back. "I know Harry, I wouldn't want to be in this situation either. And not just because that's my cousin." He chuckled forcing Harry to scrunch his face in disgust. "But she's a proud woman who is throwing everything she has away for her son."

Drawing up his one memory of his mother as she was willing to sacrifice everything for Harry made him resolute. "Mrs. Malfoy, I will help you, now what do I have to do?" Harry said as he knelt in front of her and tilted her chin up. A weak smile crossing her face as she realized there might be a ray of hope left.

* * *

"Order, Order, ORDER!," Dumbledore roared as he slammed his gavel in front of him silencing the hall. The raucous voices of witches and wizards all shouting over each other to be heard in the chamber was nearly deafening. "Ahem," slowly pushing up his glasses. "Aurors," nodding to the wizards robed in red. "Bring in the accused."

After a moment, the door opened up and what would barely classify as a man was dragged into the room. "P-please," Lucius pleaded, his face covered in dirt, bruises and some slowly healing cuts. "Water, just," he looked around the chamber bleary-eyed. "A little water."

Harry cringed as he heard the chamber begin to shout threats and spit on the once proud man. He could tell that in the few days that Lucius was held in a cell he had not been treated well. It would seem they decided to store him in Azkaban where they were one hundred percent certain he couldn't escape, if the tattered clothes he had on were an indicator. The teen tried to imagine what he went through and had come to the conclusion that the guards had elected not to feed him while he awaited his trial.

"Amelia," Albus looked to the honorable woman who wore an expression of shock to see Lucius Malfoy in his current state. "What exactly did your aurors do to him?"

"I don't know," she honestly answered. "I will have to investigate."

"Stop stalling, kill the Death Eater," a man shouted as he whipped up the crowd into a frenzy, all clamoring for blood.

After taking a minute to quell the chanting Albus realized this was not the appropriate time to discuss a prisoner's treatment and reluctantly began the trial. Which he assumed would be short, the pure-blood had been given a truth potion every day, answering any and every question a person had. So the prosecutor simply presented the evidence they had gotten.

To the audience this seemed like it would be enough and that Lucius would be dead in a few minutes after all formalities were attended to.

"Now, does anyone wish to speak in defense of Lord Lucius Malfoy." Albus sadly asked the chamber, not expecting a single person to move or even breath too loud. Slowly he saw movement out of the corner of his eye and he was so very proud as to who it was that bravely stood up.

"I do Headmaster," Harry said loudly, shocking the crowd, not just because a person came to the defense of the man, but who it was.

"Please Harry, my bo-, my young man, come forward." Albus gestured for Harry to move to the center of the chamber.

Whispers ran around the chamber as everyone was shocked that the Boy-Who-Lived, now the Man-Who-Conquered, would speak up for someone who supposedly tried to kill him.

"Sir," Harry said as he got a better look at Lucius Malfoy. Harry was disgusted with how the man had been treated, it reminded him far too much of the injustice Sirius was subjected to. And while Harry didn't like the man that was on the floor before him, he understood that justice was made to be applied to everyone and this was not it. "I speak up not for him, but for my parents, and for every parent." His opening speech confused the audience. "The earliest memory I have, the one that means the absolute most to me, is of my parents. The only words I have heard my father say was to take me and run as he died to hold off Voldemort."

The crowd was absolutely silent as they listened to Harry retell his memory of the night that made him famous. "My mother stood in front of Voldemort and pleaded with him to kill her instead." Tears stung Harry's eyes as he could hear her screams. "She was willing to die just for me to live."

"And many times, I wish she hadn't. That they would have stepped aside and lived instead of dying for me." The declaration of his feelings was something none of the listeners had expected. "I know what kind of a cruel monster Voldemort was. And I respect Lucius Malfoy for one reason. When Voldemort showed up to his house, he didn't defy him, he knew that would mean he would die, his wife would die and his son would die. And that is if Voldemort was feeling merciful, rather than letting his Death Eaters play with them first. He chose to do what it took to keep them safe, even if it meant abiding by the decisions of a madman."

Twisting the events quite a bit as while Lucius willingly followed Voldemort, once you started, the only way out was death for you and everyone else you cared about. Harry understood that even if Lucius had a complete change of heart, with Voldemort inside his home and it filled with other Death Eaters, there was nothing he could do that wouldn't result in their suffering.

"I have been told his past crimes are in the past, but as of right now, the only crime one could charge him with was letting a violent dark wizard and his followers into his home. But I ask you this, if Voldemort had arrived at any of your homes, while your loved ones were there, would you have been able to turn him away? Would you have been able to condemn them all to death to spite him?"

"Lucius Malfoy did not attack a single person that day, he was tossed aside by Voldemort the moment he was no longer useful, discarded and forgotten. This trial is nothing more than a show of power, and another example of the Ministry punishing the wrong person." Harry said as he glared at the Wizengamot, knowing that Sirius' trial was to be held after Lucius' execution.

"I think you have said quite enough Harry," Albus nodded with a smile. "Now, does anyone here still believe that Lucius Malfoy should be punished for the events that transpired on July 18th?"

Previously most of the chamber had been expected to light their wands, the light-sided families to rid themselves of another Death Eater, the dark-sided families as punishment for his failures and the in-betweens for wanting to side with public opinion. Instead very few wands were lit, whether it was because they were following Harry's direction or were genuinely convinced by his words, Lucius Malfoy would live to see another day.

"Then, it is with much relief, that Lord Lucius Malfoy is declared innocent of his crimes and to be released," Albus said as he slammed the gavel down. Aurors reluctantly unchained the prisoner who had been silent as Harry had defended him.

"Why?" his voice ragged as Lucius stared up at the young man who saved him from execution.

"Because, your wife needed me to do it," Harry sighed as he watched Draco and Narcissa approach Lucius slowly.

"I'm sorry, I did the only thing I could think of with the little time that I had," Narcissa said as she handed Lucius her family ring and hugged him one last time before moving to stand beside Harry.

"You, you, you," Draco seethed as he jammed his hand into his pocket to grab his wand. He stopped the moment Lucius put his hand on his shoulder firmly.

"No Draco, now is not the time nor place and even if it were," Lucius sighed as he knew what type of deal Narcissa had struck. "There is nothing we can do, it was a fair and honest deal, of only the noblest of pure-blood traditions. I thank you," Lucius bowed before he hurried himself and his son out of the chamber.

* * *

Harry barely paid attention to Sirius' trial, Amelia Bones presented the lack of evidence in the original arrest and then Peter Pettigrew's body along with proof that this was the supposedly dead hero, now the known dead traitor. He was promptly declared innocent and was finally able to be free after nearly fourteen years.

Harry was exhausted when Nymphadora, the newly freed Sirius, Narcissa and himself arrived back at Grimmauld Place. After the trial Harry, Sirius and Narcissa had been accosted by every reporter, even the dozen aurors couldn't keep them all back. So it took almost a half an hour for the four people to cross the hall to use the floo in the Chief Warlocks office. "I will head up to my quarters master," Narcissa bowed as she quickly left the room, Nymphadora following along as she had some inkling as to what was going on. With the occupants having previously been doing a poor job of looking busy while they waited for news of the outcome.

"What does that _woman_ mean by master?" Molly Weasley harshly demanded to know.

"Something I already regret," Harry answered as he slumped into a chair. "Kreacher, something for this headache please," he called out hoping the crotchety elf would respond. The elf popped next to him with a bottle of rat poison. "Cheeky little bugger," Harry smirked at Kreacher, whose face betrayed no emotions. The elf left before returning with a potion that Harry downed without questioning.

"That could have been poison!" Sirius gasped.

"No it couldn't have, Kreacher's a house elf, they can't harm other people," Harry tiredly said as his pain lessened and he began to feel much better. "Oh, except for Dobby, he could, he could do that a lot." He slowly realized. "You missed your chance to take me out Kreacher."

"Will be trying's better next time," the old house elf snarked before disappearing.

"The Great Wizard Harry Potter's be calling Dobby?" Dobby asked as he popped into the room and stood on the coffee table. His sudden appearance startling the occupants of the room.

"Jeez Dobby," Harry said as he held his hand over his heart. "Maybe give us some warning next time, how did you even get here?"

"I be coming when you's call, a house elf always hear when master calls." Dobby proudly said.

"Harry James Potter, you enslaved Dobby?!" Hermione screeched at him, shocked and appalled that her friend now owned a house elf.

"No, maybe, if I did, I don't know when, so can I really be at fault?" Harry wondered. "Dobby when did I become your master?"

"After you free Dobby from bad old master, Dobby want to be Great Wizard Harry Potter's elf, so Dobby come when called."

"Okay then," Nodding as he got out of the chair. "Well Dobby, since you want to be here, do whatever you like, I'm going to take a nap." Harry declared as he strode towards the stairs ignoring everyone else for the time being, he had no interest in answering a slew of questions at the moment. The elf gleefully disappeared as the room seemingly started to clean itself.

"Alright Dursleys, I'm a free man, now get out," Sirius told the muggles who quickly left the home, having left the custody papers on the table for Sirius to deal with. With not even a polite or impolite word the three muggles strode out the door, happy to be leaving this mess behind them. This left Sirius as the only one to get information out of as to the outcome of both trials.

* * *

"My dear niece I do not see what the problem is," the voice of Narcissa was heard through the open door to Harry and Tonks' room.

"He's too young," Tonks shouted as she stomped her foot.

"That young man is my master and I understand what my role is to be," Narcissa folded her arms.

"He's not like that," Nymphadora exclaimed in frustration.

"Who's not like what?" Harry yawned as he entered the room.

"Master," Narcissa bowed to Harry. "Are you requiring my services?"

"Wha-," Harry started to open his mouth before Tonks slapped her hand over it.

"No, he's not," his girlfriend answering for him. "What are you doing up here?"

"I wanted a nap, what's going on?" Harry asked as he looked between the two women.

"Master, I am your servant, it is expected of me that I aid you, and one of those ways in relieving stress," she said as her gaze shifted down to Harry's pants.

"Wait, you mean... oh, OH, oooohh." The realization of what that meant slamming into him like a bludger. Harry's cheeks flushed as he took a nervous step back. "Now, Nar-Nar-cissa, I uh, just because the uh, deal, you don't, Nym help!" Harry exclaimed as he backed up to the wall.

"See what you did?!" Tonks pointed accusingly. "You are old enough to be his mother. Have you no shame."

"My age is irrelevant in this situation, Master could be a babe and I, a spinster, a deal is a deal." Narcissa glared.

Taking a deep breath and letting his courage come forth once again, or was that stupidity, Harry spoke up. "Narcissa, first of all, I am not Master, please, call me Harry."

"Yes, Ma- Harry," Narcissa nodded as she waited for more instructions.

"Second of all, I don't want to be ordering you to do anything you don't want to do, so you don't have to, you know," Nudging his head towards the bed. "If that's something you don't want to do, I'm not going to make you."

"And if I do want it," Narcissa asked, curious where the instructions were heading.

"Then, I uh," tugging at his collar. "Will discuss that with you later, I guess." Harry said, not committing to an answer. "Narcissa, I just tore apart your family, doesn't that, I don't know, bother you?"

"Harry," Narcissa sighed as she walked forward, the entire time Tonks glared at her. "My former husband is alive, and able to be there for my son, that is more than I hoped for not even a day ago. But remember this, I chose to do this, because it protected them. So I knew what I was getting myself into, the only question that remains is what you will do with me, I am yours for the rest of your life." the slightly taller woman, stared down at the young man, with an intensity that Harry was not used to seeing.

"I think," gulping to take a moment. "I really need that nap right now." Harry said. "I, Nym, Narcissa, I just," Sighing. "I have no clue what I'm doing." Sitting down on the bed the two women moved to seat themselves beside him.

"That's fine Harry, it's okay to not know," Nym said as she rubbed his back. "How about you get some rest," she offered, patting the center of the bed.

"Yeah, okay," with a yawn Harry laid back on the sheets, not even caring that both women positioned themselves next to him. He soon drifted off to sleep unaware that many conversations were continuing throughout the house.

"He's such a strange young man," Narcissa mused as she watched her master sleep.

"I said the same thing," Tonks chuckled, the loud argument she was having with her aunt could wait, there was no point in waking Harry right now. "One moment, he's this powerful, confident, badass. The next, he's just a broken teen who needs help."

"Is that why you are with him?" Narcissa wondered as to the nature of her niece's relationship.

"I'm just a placeholder until he finds a better girl." Tonks shook her head.

"I have seen his nobility first hand when he agreed to help me, I do not believe he is one to have placeholders, he seems too upfront for that." Narcissa disagreed.

"That is what worries me," Nym sighed as she continued to watch Harry sleep.

* * *

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN, HARRY IS HER MASTER!" Molly roared as Sirius rubbed his temple. He had given a brief overview of the trial, shocking the listeners that Harry had defended Lucius Malfoy in court. After telling them why Harry would do something like that, each person had an opinion on the subject.

"That slimy snake tricked him," Ron declared angrily, having come to the conclusion that the mother of his most hated classmate had manipulated his friend.

"That _slimy snake_, just gave up her freedom." Hermione shouted back. "God, he enslaved a house elf, then a witch, what's next, is he going to put Fleur on a leash."

"Ms. Granger," Minerva gasped. "Harry is your friend, how could you think that?"

"Because it's what he's done, I'm not blaming him, but these events are happening around him." Hermione countered. "Is there something we can do to preempt some of this?"

The floo roared to life and a tired Dumbledore walked into the main sitting room. "I can see the discussions have begun without me then?" Looking around and understanding that factions have seemed to have formed. "And the current location of Mister Potter is?"

"Upstairs, alone, with two witches," Fred snickered before he yelped as Remus struck him with a stinging hex, however because the werewolf had placed himself next to McGonagall and Mad-eye, the red head was unsure exactly who took a shot at him.

"Very well then," Albus said as he waved his wand and made the chair he was going to sit in far more plush and comfortable to help his aching old bones. "Oh," he hummed as he saw a plate with tea and some biscuits appear next to him. "Kreacher seems to be in a delightful mood."

"It was Dobby actually," Ginny chirped as she had been sitting on the stairs waiting for the arguing to stop.

"Quite nice," Albus smiled, happy for the small treat after the headache of a day he had. Even after the trials there was so much to do, so many families claiming inheritances, so many motions being brought up, hoping to capitalize on the confusion for gain, many of them tabled until later dates, effectively filling up his schedule for the next few months.

"Albus, there must be something you can do, first that, that, grr," Molly screamed through her teeth. "Now it's that vile Malfoy bitch."

"Molly," Arthur gasped at the foul language his wife was using.

"Don't you Molly me Arthur, that young boy is being strung along by these horrid women and is going to wind up poor, brokenhearted and a wreck once they take everything he has from him." Molly ranted as she was firmly against Harry's current situation.

"How dare you," Sirius started before a voice stopped him.

"SHUT THE FUCK UP!" Harry roared as he stood at the top of the stairs. He had woken up from his little nap by the nature of being hungry and was hoping to see what was being made for dinner when he could hear the arguing. Harry was willing to sit back and let the people get it out of their system before he made another appearance but his blood boiled when he heard how many of them were disapproving of Nymphadora and Narcissa, all without even speaking to them or him.

"God, what is wrong with you people, what gives you the bloody right to dictate to me how I live my life," Harry demanded to know. "Yesterday I felt bad for blowing up on you all because I knew what you did was because you were concerned about me. But this, this is just you not happy. Well tough shit, I am, so I made a deal with Narcissa, I chose that, she chose that, so keep your faces out of our business." Harry came down the steps with the two witches closely following him, they had been prepared to defend themselves but Harry's temper was quicker to set off.

"Voldemort was more tolerable than this because at least he didn't bicker all the bloody time," Harry tossed his hands up and stormed into the kitchen, slamming the door behind him before a furious yell of anger rang out from the room.

"Well that was rude," Sirius joked as everyone turned on him. "Hey, I actually get a say in this, I'm his guardian." Snidely turning up his nose. "And I think this is fine, Cissy, Nymmie," Sirius nodded to the kitchen door. "Be with Harry and make him happy." Dishing out his commands to the others. "People who have jobs," looking to those who were actually employed. "Go do them." Pointing to the floo as a polite indicator for them to get out. "Layabouts and miscreants," Turning to Remus and the twins.

"Oi," George called out

Fred pouted at the moniker.

Remus rolled his eyes.

"We have much mischief to manage. Everyone else, just don't bother Harry, come on, he's been through enough these last few days. And yes, that means flinging barbs at those two women in the kitchen with him." His face darkened as he looked to the people most likely to get on his Godson's case. "I mean it, he's had to fight for his life, deal with the politics of the Wizengamot and the last thing he needs is the people who should be supporting him, questioning him at every turn."

Harry's head was resting on the dining table of the kitchen. "Why can't I control myself," Harry lamented. "It's like I'm fine one moment, the next I'm ready to tear somebody's head off. Why can't they just leave you two alone?"

"I can see why you defended my niece's virtue, but why me Harry?" Narcissa wondered. "We've hardly spent any time together."

"Narcissa, if you are serious about this servitude, then I have to be serious about being your... yeah. Which means I have to take care of you as much as you think you need to take care of me, and that includes defending you, even from my friends." Harry began to answer. "What you did to ensure Draco has his father in his life I respect that. And I wasn't entirely bullshitting what I said in the chamber."

"My father gave his life to protect my mother and me, and she in turn gave hers for me. You may not have died as my mother did, but you sacrificed for them, and it would be spitting on the memory of my parents to not honor that sacrifice."

"I," Narcissa stammered, stunned at the deep answer, she had tried to not allow her previous beliefs about Harry cloud her decision making with him, but Harry's answer to her question made her realize that Harry was nothing like what she was expecting him to be. Deciding that a neutral response was better than none, she shallowly bowed her head. "Thank you Harry."

The door slowly pushed open and Harry picked his head up off the table to see who was entering. "Oh, hey Ginny," Harry said tiredly.

"Harry, can we talk?"


End file.
